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The Hilsea lines are a line of fortifications built to protect the Northern approach to Portsea, an island of the coast of England containing Portsmouth and its key naval base. The island is separated from the mainland by a stretch of water similar to a moat. The first means of crossing this stretch of water was by stepping stones, followed by a single track built to allow the passage of pedestrians and horse drawn carts to have access to Portsea Island. A continuous bastioned trace was built between 1858 and 1864 with special fortified bridges for road and rail access. The lines are accessible for most of their length, but overgrown and derelict in places.
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