Notice Board – Friends of Stokes Bay

Litter Pick Dates for 2025

25th January – 29th March – 28th June – 13th September – 1st November

Did You Know?

Most of Stokes Bay was for many years inundated by the sea, part of the great ‘Stoke Morass’. It gradually dried leaving the river Alver to flow the length of the bay to the sea at Gilkicker. The river was diverted leaving a pool of water close to the present GAFIRS HQ, popular with local children as a paddling pool. The photo shows the pond in 1927. In the 1930s a concrete path was built to the pond, sections of which can still be seen. The pond was filled in 1961 because of problems with water purity but the area remains still prone to flooding as these photos show during last winter. For more information, visit the History section of the website.

100 years ago a bathing station was built at Stokes Bay. It had a small café, a shop selling souvenirs and changing cubicles. In 1942, it was requisitioned by the Admiralty. In the 1970s it was used by GAFIRS and subsequently demolished. The picture shows the bathing station in 1939. More about the history of the bay can be found in the history section.

Petanque

The two petanque pitches in front of the Pebble Beach Café are for public use – just bring your own boules. The play area is maintained by the Friends of Stokes Bay. Several of us enjoy meeting generally on a Wednesday morning at 11.00am; just turn up or email the secretary if you wish to be added to our WhatsApp group. Or maybe form a group of your own?

Browndown Access

Wildflower Meadow

Following the decision to abandon the daffodil planting along the verges of Stokes Bay Road, and in collaboration with Greening Alverstoke, we have approval from GBC to plant a wildflower garden in the site of the old toilet block between Jellico Avenue and Solent Springs Adventure Golf. The garden will incorporate a bench and a bug hotel. We have received advice from several people regarding the types of flowers and the best process of planting to ensure that we get the balance right.

Diving Museum at No 2 Battery

In July 2024 the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded £802,000 which will enable the museum to deliver an improved museum throughout the whole building following the repair project with reopening scheduled for July 2025.

D-Day Memorial

Planning permission has been granted for the erection of a semi-circular war memorial garden in the location of the existing Mulberry Harbour memorial on the promenade to the east of the Stokes Bay Sailing Club. The proposed plan will incorporate a flagpole, hard and soft landscaping as well as the relocation of the Canadian Memorial.

Works at Fort Gilkicker

Photographs below show this beautiful Victorian structure, now exposed by the removal of the earth bank.

The last two photographs looking east before and after the “bank” that has been created with earth from the fort.