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Written by Kevin Lee - 10 Mar 2006
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Location notes
Being an industrial unit car park this location is best avoided during the week.

On the line into Portsmouth, in the northern part of the city.
Railway type and traffic
This is the mainline out of Portsmouth and before the junctions so you get everything that goes into and out of Portsmouth here:

South West Trains 444: 3 trains per hour Waterloo via Guildford and 1 train per hour Waterloo via Basingstoke
South West Trains 450: 1 train per hour Southampton Central
Wessex Trains 158:1 train per hour Cardiff Central
Southern 377: 1 train per hour Brighton and 1 train per hour Victoria

You also get the odd charter, engineers or test train. But there will be no freight.
Environment
A small car park in an Industrial Estate next to Hilsea Station, its a quite location with very little activity and the odd walker. Its still advisable to avoid football colours when there is a match at Fratton Park. There are security guards in the estate behind you, and they may come and ask you what your doing, but are usually ok once you explain. If the weather turns inclement there is a little shelter for the people who work in the estate to smoke under during their breaks. Hilsea station is not the nicest place, so avoid hanging about there.
Road directions
From the M27/A27:
Turn south onto the A2030 Eastern Road which heads into the city, take the first right into Anchorage Road (should be signposted Hilsea) go straight over the first roundabout and then take the first left at the second roundabout into Williams Road. You will reach a roundabout take the right hand exit onto the Airport Service Road and you will pass Hilsea station and immediately to your left is the car park.

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Hilsea map co-ordinates
Parking
Well your in a car park....its free too!
Public transport
By train to Hilsea there is 1trains per hour to/from Southampton, Waterloo via Basingstoke, Waterloo via Guildford (stopping train) and Brighton. exit the station on the east side and turn left, the car park is immediately in front of you.
The number 21 Stagecoach operated bus stops at Hilsea Station, running every ten minutes (hourly on Sundays) to/from Havant to The Hard Interchange (next to Portsmouth Harbour station)via Bedhampton, Farlington and Fratton and the city centre.
The number 27 First operated bus stops also stops at Hilsea Station, running once an hour (but not on Sundays) to/from Allaway to Commercial Road (in the city centre) via Q.A. Hospital, Cosham, Copnor and Fratton.

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Amenities
No facilities in the area at all, but the city centre is a short bus (to Commercial Road) or (cheaper) train-ride (to Portsmouth and Southsea) away where you can find all manner of fast food outlets, shops and pubs which are open fairly late due to the large student population!
Accommodation
Most of the accommodation is in Southsea, which is only a short bus ride away.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Hilsea

Googly map
Streetmap links
Hilsea general view map
Hilsea close up map

Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Hilsea



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Railway Gen Group
Wessex Rail Gen [WRGen]
Photographic notes
The line runs almost due north-south here so photography is only possible in the morning whilst the sun is on the east side of the line (unless it's cloudy). The best shot is about half way along the car park looking north for southbound trains. The shot for northbound trains is not so good being directly into sun, and there being a bush in the way! but you can tail shoot them. A stepladder or similar would be useful to help you get over the vegetation on the bank, a wide angle lens would also be preferable.


General views - All photographs © Kevin Lee unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north


Fig 1 - Looking north


Fig 2 - Looking south


Fig 2 - Looking south


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