Baffins

Baffins is an administrative district of Portsmouth, England, located on the eastern side of Portsea Island.[2][3] The district is mainly composed of 1930s housing and a Roman burial ground which now lies beneath the houses of Whitecliffe Avenue. Legend has it that the Roman soldiers who fought bravely for Julius Caesar are buried at this site and are regularly heard in the middle of the night with their war cries. The population of the Baffins ward at the 2011 Census was 15,121.

Baffins
Suburb

Baffins Pond
Population15,121 (2011 Census. Baffins Ward)[1]
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townPORTSMOUTH
Postcode districtPO3
Dialling code023
PoliceHampshire
FireHampshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament

Before the area became developed for housing, it had been occupied by a farm of the same name. This farm (known as Bavins Farm[4]) had a history stretching back to the 12th century. The only surviving remnant of the rural past is Baffins Pond and the adjoining Tangier Field - a large open space between Baffins Pond and Portsmouth College at the eastern end of the field.

Local attractions: Baffins Pond and Tangier Field

Baffins Pond and Tangier Field is 182,000 square metres (18.2 hectares). The large natural pond is a habitat for ducks, geese, swans and other wild fowl. It is managed as a wildlife refuge and is popular with people of all ages. In 2014 Baffins Pond again received a Green Flag award.[5]

There is also a play area at Baffins Pond with equipment for children of all ages as well as a ball-court with basketball and 5-a-side goals.

To the east of the pond area is Tangier Field, a large grassed open space that also serves as a valuable habitat for the brent goose or brant goose, an internationally important protected species, which visits the Solent area in the winter months. There is no public access to the fenced enclosure between 1 October to 31 March for the time the birds are resident, although most of the area is open to the public at all times.[6]

Local amenities

The local shopping area for Baffins is in Tangier Road. The many shops and businesses include a post office within the Co-op store, newsagents, butchers, a greengrocer, a pharmacist, numerous take-aways, and 'The Baffins' pub. The Alderman Lacey Library is at the edge of Baffins Pond.

There are two churches in Tangier Road: St Joseph's Catholic Church and a City Life Church. St Cuthbert's Church is located in Hayling Avenue which borders Baffins Pond on its southern side. There is also a GP (the Baffins Surgery) next to this church.

Baffins is also within short walking distance of St. Mary's Hospital which includes a minor injuries/illness walk-in centre St. Marys Treatment Centre

Education

The Baffins area is served by Langstone Infant and Junior School, Westover Primary School and Milton Cross Secondary School as well as Portsmouth College (formerly the Great Salterns Comprehensive School; prior to co-education and secondary school amalgamations in the 1970s it was Southern Grammar School for boys).

References
  1. "Portsmouth Ward population 2011". Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  2. Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 196 The Solent & Isle of Wight (Southampton & Portsmouth) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2015. ISBN 9780319231425.
  3. "Ordnance Survey: 1:50,000 Scale Gazetteer" (csv (download)). www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk. Ordnance Survey. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  4. http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/ordsurvdraw/p/zoomify82401.html
  5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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