Lee-on-the-Solent Timeline
Key events from 1884 to present
Discover the key moments that shaped Lee-on-the-Solent. Explore the events that define our community.
1884
Robinson Develops Lee-on-the-Solent
In 1884, Sir John Robinson, a wealthy newspaper proprietor who had made his fortune in South Africa, and his son Charles Edmund Newton Robinson purcha...
1888
Lee-on-the-Solent Pier Opens
Lee-on-the-Solent's pier opened in 1888, extending approximately 750 feet into the Solent and providing the resort with the landmark structure that ev...
1894
The Railway Arrives
The Lee-on-the-Solent Light Railway opened on 12 May 1894, running three and a quarter miles from a junction at Fort Brockhurst on the existing Gospor...
1909
First Flight from Lee
In 1909, pioneering aviators conducted early flying experiments from the flat coastal land at Lee-on-the-Solent, establishing a connection with aviati...
1917
RNAS Lee-on-the-Solent Established
In 1917, with the First World War demanding rapid expansion of Britain's aerial capability, the Admiralty established a Royal Naval Air Station at Lee...
1923
Schneider Trophy Race
In September 1923, the Schneider Trophy seaplane race was held in the Solent, with the course running between Lee-on-the-Solent, Selsey Bill and a tur...
1929
Schneider Trophy Returns
The Schneider Trophy returned to the Solent in September 1929, and this time Britain won. The Supermarine S.6, designed by RJ Mitchell and powered by ...
1935
Lee Tower Opens
Lee Tower, an Art Deco entertainment complex, opened on the seafront at Lee-on-the-Solent in 1935, providing the town with its most distinctive archit...
1939
HMS Daedalus at War
When war broke out in September 1939, HMS Daedalus at Lee-on-the-Solent was immediately placed on a wartime footing. The station became one of the bus...
1944
D-Day Operations
On 6 June 1944, aircraft based at HMS Daedalus played a direct role in supporting the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy, the largest seaborne...
1958
The Pier Demolished
Lee-on-the-Solent's pier was demolished in 1958, ending 70 years of service and removing one of the town's most recognisable landmarks. The pier had b...
1959
The Hovercraft Takes Flight
On 11 June 1959, the SR.N1, the world's first practical hovercraft, made its maiden voyage across the Solent, a feat of British engineering that had d...
1971
Lee Tower Demolished
In 1971, Lee Tower was demolished, removing the Art Deco landmark that had dominated the seafront since 1935. The demolition provoked public protest a...
1996
HMS Daedalus Closes
HMS Daedalus closed on 29 March 1996, ending 79 years of Royal Navy presence at Lee-on-the-Solent and severing a relationship that had shaped the town...
2000
Hovercraft Museum Opens
The Hovercraft Museum opened at the former HMS Daedalus site in Lee-on-the-Solent around the year 2000, establishing the world's largest collection of...
2015
Solent Enterprise Zone Launches
In 2015, the former HMS Daedalus site was designated as the Solent Enterprise Zone, marking the most significant step in the redevelopment of the nava...