Langstone Harbour

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Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire

title: "Langstone Harbour" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["geography-of-hampshire", "transport-in-portsmouth", "ports-and-harbours-of-the-english-channel", "special-protection-areas-in-england", "royal-society-for-the-protection-of-birds-reserves-in-england", "sites-of-special-scientific-interest-in-hampshire", "nature-conservation-review-sites", "ramsar-sites-in-england", "special-areas-of-conservation-in-england"] description: "Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langstone_Harbour" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox SSSI"]

Field	Value
image	Langstone Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 1077639.jpg
name	Langstone Harbour
aos	Hampshire
interest	Biological
gridref
area	2085.4 ha
notifydate	1985
map	Magic Map
::

Langstone Harbour is a 2085.4 ha biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire. It is an inlet of the English Channel in Hampshire, sandwiched between Portsea Island to the south and west, Hayling Island to the south and east, and Langstone to the north. It is part of the Ramsar site of Langstone and Chichester Harbour Special Protection Area and Nature Conservation Review site. Parts are Special Areas of Conservation, or Local Nature Reserves, and some areas by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

Historically, the harbour has been used for salt and sand production, as well as fishing and latterly leisure boating. A ferry across the mouth of the harbour has been in operation for more than 200 years.

Geography

Langstone Harbour is an inlet of the English Channel in Hampshire, sandwiched between Portsea Island to the south and west, Hayling Island to the south and east, and Langstone to the north. It is part of the Ramsar site of Langstone and Chichester Harbour, Special Protection Area and Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. Parts of it are in Solent Maritime and Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons Special Areas of Conservation. Three areas are Local Nature Reserves, Farlington Marshes West Hayling and The Kench, Hayling Island. Two areas are nature reserves managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Farlington Marshes and Southmoor Nature Reserve

West of Portsmouth is Portsmouth Harbour and the three linked harbours are important recreational and conservation areas as well as supporting commercial fishing and shipping. It is administered by the Langstone Harbour Board. The eastern boundary with Chichester Harbour is defined by a historic causeway known as the Wade Way, which was originally the only crossing between Hayling Island and the mainland. It is now impassable, having been cut in two by a deep channel for the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal in the 1820s (for further information see Langstone).

Islands

Langstone Harbour contains a number of islands: Baker's Island (), North Binness Island (), South Binness Island () and Long Island (). These are subject to erosion and during the 1990s a seven-year archaeology project took place before their history was lost to the seas.

There are two smaller islands: Round Nap Island, which is connected to South Binness Island by a tidal causeway; and Oyster Island, which contains the remains of an old hut, thought to have been built in 1819 to guard the oyster beds.

History

Langstone Harbour was originally a river valley of one of the tributaries flowing into the then River Solent. With the end of the last ice age sea levels rose until sometime between 4000 and 3500BC the harbour took on the form it would have until the 18th century.

For much of its history the harbour has been an area of salt production. and by the early 17th century a saltern at Copnor was well established. Here a large shallow area of the harbour meant that even without further improvement salt could be extracted from the area after each tide. The Copnor saltern ceased production in 1800 but salt production continued elsewhere in the harbour until 1933.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Langstone_salt_water_lagoon.JPG" caption="The artificial lagoon built on the remains of the old oyster beds"] ::

In 1771 Farlington Marshes were reclaimed from the north of the harbour.

Oyster farming began in the harbour around 1820 with winkle and clam cultivation probably starting around much the same time. Production ceased in the 1950s. An attempt at oyster farming in the 1980s soon failed. In 1997 work began to turn the remains into an artificial lagoon. The lagoon which has a small island at the centre has, as planned, become a breeding ground for birds, particularly little terns. In 2025 work took place to raise the level of the island within the lagoon.

During the Second World War the harbour was used as Starfish decoy site to misdirect German bombers.

The 2085.4 ha harbour was designated a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1985.

Ferry

A ferry has operated between Portsmouth and Hayling Island across Langstone Harbour for more than 200 years; in 2022-23 it carried more than 47,000 passengers.

Wildlife

The harbour is home to an extensive range of marine and bird life. Fifty species of fish have been found in the harbour. The harbour's bird life is even richer, the harbour hosting a wide range of species some of which are represented by over 10,000 individuals. This is in a large part due to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds acquiring islands and a number of tidal areas in 1978 and turning them into bird sanctuaries. As a result of the number of birds the harbour as become a popular spot for bird watchers.

Seals occasionally appear in the harbour in winter. American hard-shelled clams have been found in the harbour spreading from an initial release site on the lower River Test. The harbour is also home to a population of Sand smelt.

On 31 July 2008 a 26-foot (8-metre), 7-tonne northern bottlenose whale was beached on a mudflat in Langstone Harbour. A rescue operation was carried out to try to save the whale off the south coast of England and managed to free the whale from mudflats using a special lifting pontoon but it remained in shallow water. A decision was made to give the whale a lethal injection as a blood test revealed that it was suffering from kidney failure. If the whale swam into deeper water it could take up to two days to die naturally from renal failure. The whale ended up about 3000 mi off course due to its illness.

Water quality

The quality of water in the harbour was called into question when samples taken in 2022 were found to contain traces of numerous chemical compounds including prescribed medicines. The harbour has outflow from a water treatment plant.

Economy

In most years since 2011, the harbour made a loss. About a third of its income comes from dredged sand, which is reliant upon a single dredger. In 2023, a government grant of £233,000 would be spent on upgrading facilities for local fishing and leisure boating.

Wrecks

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Langstone_Harbour_Phoenix_breakwater_2013.JPG" caption="Phoenix breakwater]] wreck"] ::

There are several boat wrecks in the harbour. The tug named the Irishman was sunk by a magnetic mine and now rests partially submerged at low tide. The harbour also contains a wrecked landing craft that rests with its bows almost permanently above the surface.

Close to the entrance of the harbour, there is a wrecked Phoenix breakwater type C.

Various artefacts have been found from the prison hulks that were kept in the harbour during the Napoleonic Wars.

References

"Designated Sites View: Chichester and Langstone Harbours". Natural England.
"Designated Sites View: Chichester and Langstone Harbours". Natural England.
(1977). "A Nature Conservation Review". Cambridge University Press.
"Designated Sites View: Solent Maritime". Natural England.
"Designated Sites View: Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons". Natural England.
"Designated Sites View: Farlington Marshes". Natural England.
"Designated Sites View: West Hayling". Natural England.
"Designated Sites View: The Kench, Hayling Island". Natural England.
"Farlington Marshes". Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
"Southmoor". Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
[http://www.langstoneharbour.org.uk/ Harbour Board]
[http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/hampshire/portsmouth/langstone/index.html Summary of archaeology]
(2000). "Our Changing Coast a survey of the intertidal archaeology of Langstone Harbour Hampshire". Council for British Archaeology.
(14 October 2016). "Coastal Map".
(30 January 2017). "3D model by Maritime Archaeology".
Tweed, Ronald. (2000). "A History of Langstone Harbour and its environs in the County of Hampshire". Dido Publications.
"Open Domesday: Havant".
Tweed, Ronald. (2000). "A History of Langstone Harbour and its environs in the County of Hampshire". Dido Publications.
Tweed, Ronald. (2000). "A History of Langstone Harbour and its environs in the County of Hampshire". Dido Publications.
(2000). "Our Changing Coast a survey of the intertidal archaeology of Langstone Harbour Hampshire". Council for British Archaeology.
Tweed, Ronald. (2000). "A History of Langstone Harbour and its environs in the County of Hampshire". Dido Publications.
Tweed, Ronald. (2000). "A History of Langstone Harbour and its environs in the County of Hampshire". Dido Publications.
Tweed, Ronald. (2000). "A History of Langstone Harbour and its environs in the County of Hampshire". Dido Publications.
Tweed, Ronald. (2000). "A History of Langstone Harbour and its environs in the County of Hampshire". Dido Publications.
(19 September 2025). "Harbour restoration work saves nests from flooding". BBC.
(2000). "Our Changing Coast a survey of the intertidal archaeology of Langstone Harbour Hampshire". Council for British Archaeology.
"Designated Sites View: Langstone Harbour". Natural England.
"Map of Langstone Harbour". Natural England.
(22 September 2023). "Hayling Ferry agrees financial deal 'to save service'". BBC News.
Tweed, Ronald. (2000). "A History of Langstone Harbour and its environs in the County of Hampshire". Dido Publications.
Tweed, Ronald. (2000). "A History of Langstone Harbour and its environs in the County of Hampshire". Dido Publications.
(25 April 2006). "Mercenaria mercenaria". Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
Tubbs, Colin. (1999). "The Ecology, Conservation and History of the Solent". Packard Publishing.
(1 August 2008). "Stranded sick whale put to sleep". BBC News.
(1 August 2008). "Aerial footage of beached whale". BBC News.
(1 August 2008). "Beached whale 'will not survive'". BBC News.
(9 June 2023). "Drugs, pesticides and medicine found in south coast seawater". BBC News.
(18 September 2023). "Loss-making Langstone Harbour targets fishing and yacht trade". BBC News.
One of these is a tug dating from 8 May 1941.Family History
(2000). "Our Changing Coast a survey of the intertidal archaeology of Langstone Harbour Hampshire". Council for British Archaeology.
Pritchard, Martin. (1987). "Dive Wight and Hampshire". Underwater World Publications.

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