Protected sectors

What's the story here?

Langstone Harbour separates Portsea Island from Hayling Island. It is an uninterrupted area of about 5,000 acres, enclosed by nearly 15 miles of shoreline. Almost 70% of the harbour dries to mudflats at MLWS, but the main channels always offer more than 2 metres for most of their length. It is now part of the Solent area Special Area of Conservation and has international and UK designations, mainly for its bird life. Yet it remains a very busy commercial port, with as many as 500 vessels importing over half a million tonnes of marine aggregate each year through its commercial wharves.




Moorings and anchoring options within Langstone Harbour are strictly regulated by the Langstone Harbour Board due to environmental conservation (Special Protection Area status) and active commercial traffic. All vessels using Langstone Harbour are obliged to pay harbour dues and display their daily or annual plaque. Moreover, anchoring and picking up moorings anywhere in the harbour requires prior permission from the Harbour Master. Staff are on duty every day (0900 - 1700), including weekends, between April and October. The Langstone Harbour Master Office is available by +44(0)23 9246 3419, VHF Channel 12, and listen on Channel 16 [Langstone Harbour Radio]. All visiting vessels must report to The Harbour Office, and it is best to contact the Harbour Master's office in advance.




The Harbour Board maintains approximately 600 moorings distributed across three main zones based on proximity to the landing pontoons (Ferry Point & Eastney Point). The visitor short-stay yellow swinging moorings are marked "VISITOR". Two visitor buoys are situated immediately north of the concrete Mulberry Harbour section in the main channel. One visitor buoy is located in Sinah Lake (the first channel branching off to starboard after entering the harbour). The harbour master will advise as to which moorings to pick up.

How to get in?

Langstone Harbour is entered between two flats locally known as The Woolseners, which extend from either side of the harbour's mouth. These are called the East Winner (off Portsea Island) and West Winner (off Hayling Island, significantly larger), and both run south-southeast from the entrance. The banks shift over time, and their height varies with the preceding winter's gales, and a moderately deep sandbar lies across the outer approach. Depths over the bar drop to around 1.2m at Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT). Within these is the harbour entrance (known locally as The Run), a narrow, highly dynamic tidal channel situated between Eastney Point (Portsea Island) to the west and Gunner Point (Hayling Island) to the east. The approaches to The Run, with its tide flow, are detailed in Navigating Langstone Harbour . Above The Run, the broad extent of Langstone Harbour opens out.




Small craft moorings are located inside the entrance, lining each side of the main channel. The northern limit of the main channel is marked with two lit buoys; the East Milton buoy, Fl(4)R.10s, marking the west side of the navigable channel, and the NW Sinah buoy, Fl.G.5s, marking its east side and the western extremity of Sinah Sands. From the entrance to these marks there is a least depth of no less than 4 metres. Pick up a mooring as directed by the harbour master.




On the port side of the inner entrance, adjacent to the Eastney Cruising Association clubhouse, there are six deep water moorings that the club rents from Langstone Harbour Board. These are for the occasional use of members, but they may be made available by arrangement with Eastney Cruising Association +44 (0)23 9273 4103. The moorings are only designed to support vessels of up to 7.6 metres 25 feet) LOA.




Vessels intending to anchor may do so in the Langstone Channel. Buoyage can be complex at times in the harbour because of the number of branching channels, broad and minor inlets. The Langstone Channel is accessed about a mile above the entrance. It branches off to the northeast at Sword Point, leaving the Broom Channel to continue in a northerly direction. It is marked by buoys and beacons, some of which are lit.




The Langstone Channel is entered from the head of the main entrance channel by, and most unusually, passing close southeast or to port of the 'NW Sinah' green starboard-hand buoy and a mooring close southeast. From there, steer to pass southeast or to port of a stranded wreck on Sword Point marked by a pile isolated danger mark.




The channel then runs in a northeast direction for about a mile and then in a northerly direction for about three-quarters of a mile. It is bounded by extensive areas of sand and mud which dry at low water: Sinah Sands to the south and Sword Sands to the north.




Within 100 metres of the isolated danger mark, the first of two floating platforms will be seen bordering the north side of the Langstone Channel. The first is an MOD paint test platform and the latter, further up the Langstone Channel, is a club water ski platform. These platforms mark the anchoring area. Four metres of water over a clean, sandy bottom, with excellent holding, will be found on a line between these marks.




Land by tender at the deep-water landing pontoons either side of the harbour entrance, or pull the tender up on the nearby beaches. Unfortunately, the anchoring area is a long tender ride from the landing areas, approaching three-quarters of a mile, where very strong currents may be encountered. A reliable outboard will be essential. When available, the harbour launch may be hired to come ashore. With the water ski club platform adjacent, it is common to have water-skiers in this area.




Low air draught vessels may pass between Langstone and Chichester harbours at high water. This may be achieved by passing north around Hayling Island between the pedestals of the old derelict rail line and under Langstone Road Bridge, which connects the island to the mainland.




The pass is made through North Lake, which is entered from the head of the Langstone Channel. Although dry at LWS, North Lake has a depth of 3.7 in at MHWS. Langstone Bridge has an airdraft of 1.3 metres, and the passage beneath it is 9 metres wide. Under the bridge, North Lake leads into Sweare Deep, just outside the entrance to Northney Marina. This then connects with Chichester's Emsworth Channel. There is no navigable channel leading north-west to Portsmouth Harbour, except for dinghies.

Why visit here?

Langstone derives its name from the conjunction of lang and stan, meaning place by the large or tall stone. Although it is a tidal basin today, it was very different 12,000 years ago in the Mesolithic period.




In 10,000 BC, sea level lay about 35 metres below today's, though it was rising rapidly. Langstone Harbour was then a grassland and fen-filled basin, with its present-day channels forming tributaries of the Rivers Langstone and Broom, which flowed into the then River Solent. Within this forest, there is ample evidence of Mesolithic people living in temporary hunting camps. In the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age, the fen became alder carr fen and woodland. However, between 4000 and 3500 BC, the ice caps of the last ice age began to melt, and sea levels slowly rose, causing the area to gradually flood. The harbour took on its final natural form in the Middle Ages. After this, it was humankind that shaped the environment we see today.




What has attracted humanity to Langstone Harbour since the Bronze Age is its ability to produce salt. The Domesday Book records three salterns in the harbour. By the 17th century, salt production was well established in Langstone and Chichester Harbours. This was largely a process of boiling seawater, concentrated by sun and wind, in lead or iron pans over coal fires. South Coast salt-making seems to have declined as a whole by the 1830s. By then, these systems had fallen into decline and had become uneconomic compared with alternative sources, particularly salt mined in Cheshire and salt imported from the Continent. A major storm in 1842 also did much damage to what remained of the industry. Oyster farming in the harbour goes back to Roman times and resumed around 1820, and Winkle and Clam cultivation probably started around the same time. Production ceased in the 1950s, and the old disused oyster beds have been turned into an artificial lagoon that is now a breeding ground for birds.




At the western entrance to Langstone Harbour stands the pentagonal artillery fortification Fort Cumberland, dating back to 1747. Construction began after it was named for the Duke of Cumberland. It was originally built as an earthwork fortification to guard Langstone Harbour and to prevent landward attacks on the Royal Navy Dockyard. The fort was completely rebuilt in masonry between 1785 and 1812 and was extensively developed again in the 1860s as part of the Palmerston Forts. Its clever, inconspicuous design makes it scarcely noticeable, yet it is widely recognised as the finest example of a bastion trace fort in England. Managed by English Heritage today, its dramatic ramparts, expansive parade ground, and historic barracks offer visitors a vivid insight into the layered military history of Portsmouth and Southsea.




One of Langstone Harbour's most conspicuous man-made features is the wrecked Phoenix breakwater, located just inside the entrance. Before the D-Day landings in 1944, the area around the Ferry Boat Inn was used to build sections of the Mulberry Harbours. These were massive artificial floating harbours towed across the English Channel following the World War II Normandy landings, discussed in more detail in the Stokes Bay entry. The Mulberry Harbours' breakwaters were assembled from 'Phoenix' reinforced-concrete caissons, such as the one that remains in Langstone Harbour. This smaller 'type C' caisson developed a fatal crack during construction and would not have survived the journey to France. It was therefore abandoned on the Sinah sandbank in Langstone Harbour, where it has remained to this day.




Today, the shallow marine basin of Langstone is enclosed by a man-made legacy of low walls and embankments. As sea levels continue to rise, these sea defences prevent the natural migration of mudflats and saltmarshes inland. These natural habitats are thereby trapped between the higher sea level on one side and the sea defences, backed by the land requirements of industry, housing, roads, and recreation, on the other; a process known as coastal squeeze.




To strike the balance, Langstone and Chichester Harbours were designated a wetland in 1987. This made them a Special Protection Area under the European Directive on the conservation of wild birds. It is now an internationally important habitat for a range of waterfowl and waders. The harbour is administered by the Langstone Harbour Board, which strives to find the right balance between the harbour's commercial opportunities and the management of its internationally recognised environmental designations.




From a visitor's perspective, Langstone Harbour is less than impressive at first glance. It appears muddy, bleak and remote. But once a visitor settles, the harbour's unusual and varied character makes itself known. Langstone Harbour is relatively quieter, less developed and less intensively used than its immediate neighbours, the commercial and naval harbour of Portsmouth and the yachting centre of Chichester Harbour. Harbour views are generally expansive and, because of the shallow gradient of Langstone's mudflats, are utterly transformed by the state of the tide. At MLWS, it is all dark mudflats, with less than one-fifth of its entire area covered by water. By contrast, at MLWS, it resembles an almost landlocked lake, with almost 95% of its area covered by water.




Its landward horizons are just as varied; circling clockwise from the city skyline of Portsmouth, to the chalky ridges of Portsdown Hill, to the wooded shore of Hayling and the South Downs in the distance. The hint of industry quickly gives way to the rural. The narrow entrance restricts views out to the Solent, but the hilly backdrop of the Isle of Wight remains conspicuous to the southwest.




The single character that remains from all this, especially at the anchor in the middle of the harbour, is a tangible sense of remoteness, naturalness and closeness to the wild. This is emphasised by the harbour's wildlife, which includes a colony of seals alongside its array of birds. All of which is made more remarkable when one considers that a quarter of a million people live within a five-mile radius.

What facilities are available?

Diesel is available on a self-service basis from the Hayling Pontoon. This service requires a fuel tag, which may be purchased from the Harbour Office. Fresh water is also available only at the Hayling Pontoon. Both are also available from Southsea Marina. Waste reception facilities for refuse and waste oil are provided for Harbour users at the Board's premises, Ferry Point. Launching facilities for small craft on trailers are available at Ferry Point, Hayling Island; Broadmarsh, Havant; and Eastney Beach, Portsmouth. A scrubbing-off grid is available on the north wall of the Harbour Board premises, Hayling Island (charges apply). A scrubbing-off post is available beside the Eastney Ferry Pontoon, Portsmouth.





Eastney Cruising Association +44 (0)23 9273 4103 has a bar, showers and toilets. Public toilets, situated by the side of the "Ferry Boat Inn" pub, are available on the Hayling side of the harbour entrance. Provisions are available in West Town, Hayling Island, 2 km away (1.5 miles).

There is a bar, cafe and restaurant overlooking the marina. Eastney Convenience Store is a ten-minute walk away and is open seven days a week, 6 am to 7 pm (5 pm Sundays). There is a cashpoint in the store. The local shops in Milton, a 20-minute walk away, include a supermarket, bank, chemist and post office.

Portsmouth and Southsea is the nearest main line station with regular trains to Chichester, London and Southampton. Fratton is the nearest station, about a 40-minute walk away. Buses run from the marina to Southsea that connect to Portsmouth. National Express runs regular services from London, Winchester and many other cities to Portsmouth. Southampton International Airport at Eastleigh is around 20 miles away.

Dining ashore onsite options include the Marina Bar & Café, +44 (0)23 9282 9999, for casual drinks/meals and Bombay Bay, +44 (0)23 9281 6066 | info@bombay-bay.co.uk, a popular Indian restaurant overlooking the marina.


Other Usefull Numbers
Southsea Marina: [VHF]: Channel 80 (Call sign [Southsea Marina]) | +44 (0)23 9282 2719
Langstone Harbour Master Office: [VHF]: Channel 12, listen on Ch. 16 (Call sign [Langstone Harbour Radio]) | +44 (0)23 9246 3419
Itchenor Harbour Office: [VHF]: Channel 14 | +44 (0)1243 512301
Chichester Harbour Radio: [VHF]: Channel 14 (or contact patrol vessels directly, Call sign [Chichester Harbour Patrol])
Hayling Rescue (for boats): +44 (0)7748 997105
Sea Start: +44 (0)800 885500
Environment Agency: +44 (0)3708 506506
HM Custom and Excise Portsmouth: +44 (0)23 8079 7000
Tourist Office: +44 (0)23 9282 6722
Hampshire Police Control Room: +44 (0)8450 454545
Hayling Island Health Centre: +44 (0)23 9246 6221
Queen Alexandra & St. Mary’s Hospitals: +44 (0)23 9228 6000
Eastney Health Centre: +44 (0)23 9275 0010
Dentist: +44 (0)23 9273 2047
Out of Hours Dentistry: +44 (0)23 9228 6146

Any security concerns?

Crime is relatively rare in Langstone Harbour. The Harbour office has a complete view of the entire body of water and keeps a sharp look out.

With thanks to:

Chris Gardner, Russell Denger, S. Gosling Langstone Harbour Masters Office.