Southwick House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southwick House |
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Southwick House showing the colonnade
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Georgian style |
| Town or city | Hampshire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 50°52′29″N 1°06′07″W / 50.8748°N 1.1019°W |
| Completed | 1800 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name | HMS Dryad (Southwick House) |
| Designated | 24 September 1987 |
| Reference no. | 1096247 |
Southwick House is a large, historic house in Hampshire, England. It is located about 8 kilometers (5 miles) north of Portsmouth. This beautiful 19th-century building is famous for its important role during World War II. Today, it is home to the Defence School of Policing and Guarding, where military police are trained.
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Southwick House: A Historic Building
Building a Grand House
Southwick House was built in the year 1800. It was designed in the late Georgian style, which was popular at the time. This new house replaced an older one called Southwick Park house.
The house has three floors. Inside, there is a special two-story entrance hall. Light comes into this hall from a small dome on the roof called a cupola. The house also has several unique oval-shaped rooms. At the front, there is a curved porch with tall, matching columns.
Southwick House in World War II
Southwick House became very important during World War II.
A Home for Sailors
In 1940, the owners of the house allowed the Royal Navy to use it. It became a place for students from the Royal Navy School of Navigation, known as HMS Dryad. This school was usually based in Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
In 1941, the dockyard was heavily bombed. Because of this, the military took over Southwick House. It then became the new main home for HMS Dryad.
The D-Day Command Center
By 1943, leaders were planning the huge D-Day invasion. Southwick House was chosen to be the main command center for this big operation. It was called "Sharpener Camp." Because of this, HMS Dryad had to move out of the house. It moved to other land nearby that the military also took over.
Planning the D-Day Invasion
In 1944, the months before D-Day were very busy at Southwick House. It became the main headquarters for the top Allied commanders. These included General Eisenhower, who was the Supreme Commander. Also there were Admiral Ramsay, the Naval Commander, and General Montgomery, the Army Commander.
The very large maps that were used on D-Day are still in the house today. You can see them in the main map room.
What is Southwick House Now?
In 2004, the training activities of HMS Dryad moved to HMS Collingwood in Fareham. Southwick House then went back to its original name, Southwick Park.
Since 2005, Southwick House has been home to the Defence School of Policing and Guarding. This is where all three parts of the military (Army, Navy, and Air Force) train their police and guards.
Protecting History: Listed Building Status
In 1987, Southwick House was given a special status. It was recorded as a Grade II listed building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is an important historic building that needs to be protected.
The next year, a separate clock tower on the property was also listed as Grade II. This clock tower has three sections and a slate roof.
