Spithead Spithead

Spithead - Definition and Overview

Great Britain and the English Channel, showing the location of Spithead
Great Britain and the English Channel, showing the location of Spithead

Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast. It receives its name from the Spit, a sandbank stretching south from the Hampshire shore for 3 miles; and it is 14 miles long by about 4 miles in average breadth.

The "Spithead Review of the Royal Navy" is famous, where the Monarch of the United Kingdom reviews a large fleet of warships.

In 1797 there was a mutiny in the Royal Navy fleet at anchor at Spithead.

Spithead has been strongly defended since 1864 by fortifications completing those of Portsmouth.

Copyright 2009 WordIQ.com - Privacy Policy  :: Terms of Use  :: Contact Us  :: About Us
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the this Wikipedia article.