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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.
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.
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
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.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
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.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
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.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
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
Streetmap links
Hilsea general view map
Hilsea close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Hilsea
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Hilsea
Googly map
Hilsea general view map
Hilsea close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Hilsea
Who likes this location on facebook
Railway Gen Group
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 2 - Looking south
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
