Southsea Common

Southsea Common

Southsea Common is a large expanse of mown grassland parallel to the shore from Clarence Pier to Southsea Castle. The Common owes its existence to the demands of the military in the early nineteenth century for a clear range of fire from the harbour defences at any enemy ships which dared to approach Portsmouth and its dockyard. In 1874, the Southsea Pier Company closed public access to part of Southsea beach which lead to four days of rioting. These riots became known as the "Battle of Southsea". The police and army eventually dispersed the crowd but the development plans were abandoned.