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Coordinates: 50°40′13″N 2°33′50″W / 50.6702°N 2.5639°W / 50.6702; -2.5639
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{{EngvarB|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox UK place
{{Infobox UK place
|static_image_name = Portesham Dorset - geograph.org.uk - 1021340.jpg
|static_image_name = Portesham Dorset - geograph.org.uk - 1021340.jpg
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|country = England
|country = England
|official_name = Portesham
|official_name = Portesham
|coordinates = {{coord|50.6702|-2.5639|display=inline,title}}
|latitude = 50.6702
|longitude = -2.5639
|map_type = Dorset
|map_type = Dorset
|population = 685
|population = 685
|population_ref = <ref name=ons1>{{cite web|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127652&c=Portesham&d=16&e=62&g=6418385&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1371248387189&enc=1|publisher=Office for National Statistics|title=Neighbourhood Statistics. Area: Portesham (Parish). Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics|accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref>
|population_ref =<ref name=ons1>{{cite web|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127652&c=Portesham&d=16&e=62&g=6418385&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1371248387189&enc=1|publisher=Office for National Statistics|title=Neighbourhood Statistics. Area: Portesham (Parish). Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics|accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref>
|shire_district = [[West Dorset]]
|unitary_england = [[Dorset (unitary authority)|Dorset]]
|shire_county = [[Dorset]]
|shire_county = [[Dorset]]
|region = South West England
|region = South West England
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}}
}}


'''Portesham''', sometimes also spelled '''Portisham''',<ref name=Gant>{{cite book|title=Dorset Villages|author=Roland Gant|year=1980|publisher=Robert Hale Ltd|pp=163–4|ISBN=0 7091 8135 3}}</ref> is a small [[village]] and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in the [[Counties of England|county]] of [[Dorset]] in southwest England, situated in the [[West Dorset]] administrative district approximately {{convert|6|mi|km|0}} northwest of [[Weymouth, Dorset|Weymouth]], {{convert|6|mi|km|0}} southwest of the county town [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]], and {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} northeast of the [[Jurassic Coast]] [[World Heritage Site]] at [[Chesil Beach]]. The parish is quite large, covering several outlying hamlets and what were once their manors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weymouth-dorset.co.uk/portesham.html|title=Portesham|accessdate=23 April 2013|publisher=weymouth-dorset.co.uk}}</ref> In the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] it had a population of 685 in 316 households<ref name=ons1/> and 342 dwellings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127652&c=Portesham&d=16&e=7&g=6418385&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1371247922377&enc=1|title=Neighbourhood Statistics. Area: Portesham (Parish). Key Figures for Housing.|accessdate=14 June 2013|publisher=Office for National Statistics|date=27 April 2012}}</ref>
'''Portesham''', sometimes also spelled '''Portisham''',<ref name=Gant>{{cite book|title=Dorset Villages|author=Roland Gant|year=1980|publisher=Robert Hale Ltd|pages=163–4|isbn=0-7091-8135-3}}</ref> is a village and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in the [[Counties of England|county]] of [[Dorset]] in southwest England, situated in the [[Dorset (unitary authority)|Dorset Council]] administrative area approximately {{convert|6|mi|km|0}} northwest of [[Weymouth, Dorset|Weymouth]], {{convert|6|mi|km|0}} southwest of the county town [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]], and {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} northeast of the [[Jurassic Coast]] [[World Heritage Site]] at [[Chesil Beach]]. The parish is quite large, covering several outlying hamlets and what were once their manors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weymouth-dorset.co.uk/portesham.html|title=Portesham|accessdate=23 April 2013|publisher=weymouth-dorset.co.uk}}</ref> In the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] it had a population of 685 in 316 households<ref name=ons1/> and 342 dwellings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127652&c=Portesham&d=16&e=7&g=6418385&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1371247922377&enc=1|title=Neighbourhood Statistics. Area: Portesham (Parish). Key Figures for Housing.|accessdate=14 June 2013|publisher=Office for National Statistics|date=27 April 2012}}</ref>


==Description==
==Description==
In 1905 [[Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet|Sir Frederick Treves]] described the village's site as being ''"in a hollow among the downs"'' so that it was ''"too low to command a view of the sea"'', but nevertheless ''"in a south-westerly gale the roar of the breakers on the Chesil Beach can be heard in the village."''<ref name=Treves>{{cite book|title=Highways and Byways in Dorset|author=[[Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet|Sir Frederick Treves]]|year=1905|pp=244–250|publisher=Macmillan and Co. Ltd}}</ref> The houses in Portesham comprise a mix of old grey stone cottages and more modern buildings in various styles.<ref name=Gant/> A stream runs alongside the main street.<ref>{{cite book|author=[[Ralph Wightman]]|title=Portrait of Dorset|publisher=Robert Hale Ltd|year=1983|edition=4|page=172|ISBN=0 7090 0844 9}}</ref>
In 1905 [[Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet|Sir Frederick Treves]] described the village's site as being ''"in a hollow among the downs"'' so that it was ''"too low to command a view of the sea"'', but nevertheless ''"in a south-westerly gale the roar of the breakers on the Chesil Beach can be heard in the village."''<ref name=Treves>{{cite book|title=Highways and Byways in Dorset|url=https://archive.org/details/highwaysandbywa00penngoog|author=Sir Frederick Treves|author-link=Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet|year=1905|pages=244–250|publisher=Macmillan and Co. Ltd}}</ref> The houses in Portesham comprise a mix of old grey stone cottages and more modern buildings in various styles.<ref name=Gant/> A stream runs alongside the main street.<ref>{{cite book|author=Ralph Wightman|author-link=Ralph Wightman|title=Portrait of Dorset|publisher=Robert Hale Ltd|year=1983|edition=4|page=172|isbn=0-7090-0844-9}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
The area around Portesham is rich in prehistoric remains. On the hills to the north of the village are several [[Bronze Age]] barrows and a [[Neolithic]] chambered long barrow called the [[Hell Stone]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=127538|title=British History Online.Portesham|accessdate=18 July 2013|publisher=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref> which may have been used as a resting place for people awaiting burial in the nearby [[Littlebredy#Valley of Stones|Valley of Stones]].<ref>{{cite book|title=West Dorset Holiday and Tourist Guide|publisher=West Dorset District Council|page=14|year=c. 1983}}</ref>
The area around Portesham is rich in prehistoric remains. On the hills to the north of the village are several [[Bronze Age]] barrows and a [[Neolithic]] chambered long barrow called the [[Hell Stone]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=127538|title=British History Online.Portesham|accessdate=18 July 2013|publisher=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref> which may have been used as a resting place for people awaiting burial in the nearby [[Littlebredy#Valley of Stones|Valley of Stones]].<ref>{{cite book|title=West Dorset Holiday and Tourist Guide|publisher=West Dorset District Council|page=14|year=c. 1983}}</ref>


In 1024 Portesham was granted as a manor by King [[Canute]]. The lands were first given to Orc, Canute's servant and subsequently to the [[Abbotsbury Abbey|monastery of Abbotsbury]]. In 1086 at the time of the [[Domesday Book]] the village had 34 households, {{convert|24|acre|ha}} of meadow and 9 [[ploughland]]s. It was in [[Uggescombe Hundred]] and the lords and [[tenant-in-chief|tenants-in-chief]] were Abbotsbury Abbey and Hawise, wife of Hugh son of Grip.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SY6085/portesham/ |title=Place: Portesham |publisher=domesdaymap.co.uk |work=Open Domesday |accessdate=26 February 2015}}</ref>
In 1024 Portesham was granted as a manor by King [[Canute]], firstly to one of his servants, and then to the [[Abbotsbury Abbey|monastery of Abbotsbury]]. In 1086 at the time of the [[Domesday Book]] the village had 34 households, {{convert|24|acre|ha}} of meadow and 9 [[ploughland]]s. It was in [[Uggescombe Hundred]] and the lords and [[tenant-in-chief|tenants-in-chief]] were Abbotsbury Abbey and Hawise, wife of Hugh son of Grip.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SY6085/portesham/ |title=Place: Portesham |publisher=domesdaymap.co.uk |work=Open Domesday |accessdate=26 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227080911/http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SY6085/portesham/ |archive-date=27 February 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


At the time of the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] the manor was granted to William Paulet, Lord St. John. The manor was also held at one time by the Trenchard family. The manor was partly sold in fee to the tenants by Sir Andrew Ricard. Upon his death, in 1672, the remainder passed to his daughter Christian and she married [[John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton|John, Lord Berkeley of Stratton]]. The manor then passed down through his family.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weymouth-dorset.co.uk/portesham.html |title=Portesham |publisher=weymouth-dorset.co.uk |date= |accessdate=11 June 2013}}</ref>
At the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] the manor was granted to William Paulet, Lord St. John. It was later held by the Trenchards and then the Ricards, before coming to [[John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton|John, Lord Berkeley of Stratton]] by marriage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weymouth-dorset.co.uk/portesham.html |title=Portesham |publisher=weymouth-dorset.co.uk |date= |accessdate=11 June 2013}}</ref>


Running through the parish is an outcrop of [[Purbeck limestone]], which was formerly quarried. Portesham quarry operated in the 19th and early 20th centuries, producing stone that was used in domestic and ecclesiastical buildings within the local area, including Abbotsbury Abbey. A [[limekiln]] was sited within the quarry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portesham.org.uk/p/village-history.html|title=Portesham West Dorset. History|publisher=www.portesham.org.uk|accessdate=19 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=1466558&sort=4&search=all&criteria=Portesham&rational=q&recordsperpage=10|publisher=pastscape.org.uk|accessdate=19 June 2013|title=Portesham Stone Quarry}}</ref>
Running through the parish is an outcrop of [[Purbeck limestone]], which was formerly quarried. Portesham quarry operated in the 19th and early 20th centuries, producing stone that was used in domestic and ecclesiastical buildings within the local area, including Abbotsbury Abbey. A [[limekiln]] was sited within the quarry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portesham.org.uk/p/village-history.html|title=Portesham West Dorset. History|publisher=www.portesham.org.uk|accessdate=19 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=1466558&sort=4&search=all&criteria=Portesham&rational=q&recordsperpage=10|publisher=pastscape.org.uk|accessdate=19 June 2013|title=Portesham Stone Quarry|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227022007/http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=1466558&sort=4&search=all&criteria=Portesham&rational=q&recordsperpage=10|archivedate=27 February 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>


A week-long fair was held in early August every year in Portesham until the [[First World War]]. Known as "Possum Fes' Wik", the event included all-night dancing.<ref name=Gant/>
A week-long fair was held in early August every year in Portesham until the [[First World War]]. Known as "Possum Fes' Wik", the event included all-night dancing.<ref name=Gant/>


Portesham had a [[Portesham railway station|railway station]] sited across fields to the south of the village, on a branch line between [[Abbotsbury]] (the neighbouring village to the west) and [[Upwey, Dorset|Upwey]] (between Dorchester and Weymouth). The line and station closed in 1952.
Portesham had a [[Portesham railway station|railway station]] sited across fields to the south of the village, on a branch line between [[Abbotsbury]] (the neighbouring village to the west) and [[Upwey, Dorset|Upwey]] (between Dorchester and Weymouth). The line and station closed in 1952.

Portesham has one public house (Kings Arms) and one shop (Ducks Farm Shop), a combined farm shop and cafe. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Eat & Drink |url=https://www.portesham.org.uk/stay-eat |access-date=2023-02-22 |website=Portesham |language=en}}</ref>


==Governance==
==Governance==
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==Vice-Admiral Hardy==
==Vice-Admiral Hardy==
[[Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet|Captain Thomas Hardy]], one of [[Horatio Nelson|Lord Nelson]]'s commanders at the [[Battle of Trafalgar]], lived in the village. He was born a few miles away at [[Kingston Russell|Kingston Russell House]],<ref name=Treves/> lived in Portesham as a boy, and again as an older man at Portesham House.<ref name=Gant/> He affectionately referred to the village as "Possum"<ref name=Gant/> and is commemorated by the [[Hardy Monument]], a tower {{convert|21|m|ft}} high, erected above the village in 1844 on the top of [[Black Down, Dorset|Black Down]] and visible over half the county.
[[Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet|Captain Thomas Hardy]], one of [[Horatio Nelson|Lord Nelson]]'s commanders at the [[Battle of Trafalgar]], lived in the village. He was born a few miles away at [[Kingston Russell (manor)|Kingston Russell House]],<ref name=Treves/> lived in Portesham as a boy, and again as an older man at Portesham House.<ref name=Gant/> He affectionately referred to the village as "Possum"<ref name=Gant/> and is commemorated by the [[Hardy Monument]], a tower {{convert|21|m|ft}} high, erected above the village in 1844 on the top of [[Black Down, Dorset|Black Down]] and visible over half the county.
[[File:Portesham, parish church of St. Peter - geograph.org.uk - 456559.jpg|thumb|Parish church of St Peter|240px]]
[[File:Portesham, parish church of St. Peter - geograph.org.uk - 456559.jpg|thumb|Parish church of St Peter|240px]]


==Parish church==
==Parish church==
{{main|St Peter's Church, Portesham}}
The [[parish church]] of St Peter is part of the [[Dorset Wildlife Trust]]'s "Living Churchyard Project" and manages the churchyard for the benefit of wildlife. Part of the churchyard grass remains uncut to allow the growth of [[wildflowers]], over 70 different species of which have been identified. A 1994 survey identified over 50 species of [[lichen]]. In 2011 the church won Best New Entry in the "Living Churchyard Competition".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.achurchnearyou.com/portesham-st-peter |title=Portesham: St Peter, Portesham |year=2010 |accessdate=22 April 2013}}</ref>
The [[parish church]] of St Peter is part of the [[Dorset Wildlife Trust]]'s "Living Churchyard Project" and manages the churchyard for the benefit of wildlife. The grass remains uncut at times, to allow wild flowers to flourish: more than 70 species have been identified. In 2011 the church won Best New Entry in the Living Churchyards competition, and was runner-up in this category in 2012. In 2013 it won the Bishop's Prize.<ref>[https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/9285/about-us/ "About us"] Portesham: St Peter. ''A church near you''. Retrieved 30 May 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/living-churchyards-project "Living Churchyards project"] ''Dorset Wildlife Trust''. Retrieved 30 May 2022.</ref>

In 1897, the 13th century [[St Bartholomew's Chapel, Corton|St Bartholomew's Chapel]] at Corton was consecrated as a [[chapel of ease]] to St Peter's.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/id/112099/rec/1|title=Kelly's Directory of Dorset, 1915 - Page 178|website=specialcollections.le.ac.uk|accessdate=2020-07-13}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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* [http://portesham.org.uk Portesham Village Website (including local history)]
* [http://portesham.org.uk Portesham Village Website (including local history)]


{{West Dorset}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Villages in Dorset]]
[[Category:Villages in Dorset]]

Latest revision as of 06:22, 11 February 2024

Portesham
Portesham
Portesham is located in Dorset
Portesham
Portesham
Location within Dorset
Population685 [1]
OS grid referenceSY602858
Unitary authority
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWEYMOUTH
Postcode districtDT3
Dialling code01305
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
  • West Dorset
List of places
UK
England
Dorset
50°40′13″N 2°33′50″W / 50.6702°N 2.5639°W / 50.6702; -2.5639

Portesham, sometimes also spelled Portisham,[2] is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southwest England, situated in the Dorset Council administrative area approximately 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Weymouth, 6 miles (10 km) southwest of the county town Dorchester, and 2 miles (3 km) northeast of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site at Chesil Beach. The parish is quite large, covering several outlying hamlets and what were once their manors.[3] In the 2011 census it had a population of 685 in 316 households[1] and 342 dwellings.[4]

Description[edit]

In 1905 Sir Frederick Treves described the village's site as being "in a hollow among the downs" so that it was "too low to command a view of the sea", but nevertheless "in a south-westerly gale the roar of the breakers on the Chesil Beach can be heard in the village."[5] The houses in Portesham comprise a mix of old grey stone cottages and more modern buildings in various styles.[2] A stream runs alongside the main street.[6]

History[edit]

The area around Portesham is rich in prehistoric remains. On the hills to the north of the village are several Bronze Age barrows and a Neolithic chambered long barrow called the Hell Stone,[7] which may have been used as a resting place for people awaiting burial in the nearby Valley of Stones.[8]

In 1024 Portesham was granted as a manor by King Canute, firstly to one of his servants, and then to the monastery of Abbotsbury. In 1086 at the time of the Domesday Book the village had 34 households, 24 acres (9.7 ha) of meadow and 9 ploughlands. It was in Uggescombe Hundred and the lords and tenants-in-chief were Abbotsbury Abbey and Hawise, wife of Hugh son of Grip.[9]

At the Dissolution of the Monasteries the manor was granted to William Paulet, Lord St. John. It was later held by the Trenchards and then the Ricards, before coming to John, Lord Berkeley of Stratton by marriage.[10]

Running through the parish is an outcrop of Purbeck limestone, which was formerly quarried. Portesham quarry operated in the 19th and early 20th centuries, producing stone that was used in domestic and ecclesiastical buildings within the local area, including Abbotsbury Abbey. A limekiln was sited within the quarry.[11][12]

A week-long fair was held in early August every year in Portesham until the First World War. Known as "Possum Fes' Wik", the event included all-night dancing.[2]

Portesham had a railway station sited across fields to the south of the village, on a branch line between Abbotsbury (the neighbouring village to the west) and Upwey (between Dorchester and Weymouth). The line and station closed in 1952.

Portesham has one public house (Kings Arms) and one shop (Ducks Farm Shop), a combined farm shop and cafe. [13]

Governance[edit]

Portesham is in the Chesil Bank electoral ward, which also includes the neighbouring settlements of Abbotsbury, Litton Cheney and Rodden. The total ward population at the 2011 census was 2,094.[14] The ward is one of 32 that comprise the West Dorset parliamentary constituency, which is currently represented in the UK national parliament by the Conservative Oliver Letwin.

Vice-Admiral Hardy[edit]

Captain Thomas Hardy, one of Lord Nelson's commanders at the Battle of Trafalgar, lived in the village. He was born a few miles away at Kingston Russell House,[5] lived in Portesham as a boy, and again as an older man at Portesham House.[2] He affectionately referred to the village as "Possum"[2] and is commemorated by the Hardy Monument, a tower 21 metres (69 ft) high, erected above the village in 1844 on the top of Black Down and visible over half the county.

Parish church of St Peter

Parish church[edit]

Main article: St Peter's Church, Portesham

The parish church of St Peter is part of the Dorset Wildlife Trust's "Living Churchyard Project" and manages the churchyard for the benefit of wildlife. The grass remains uncut at times, to allow wild flowers to flourish: more than 70 species have been identified. In 2011 the church won Best New Entry in the Living Churchyards competition, and was runner-up in this category in 2012. In 2013 it won the Bishop's Prize.[15][16]

In 1897, the 13th century St Bartholomew's Chapel at Corton was consecrated as a chapel of ease to St Peter's.[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Neighbourhood Statistics. Area: Portesham (Parish). Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e Roland Gant (1980). Dorset Villages. Robert Hale Ltd. pp. 163–4. ISBN 0-7091-8135-3.
  3. ^ "Portesham". weymouth-dorset.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Neighbourhood Statistics. Area: Portesham (Parish). Key Figures for Housing". Office for National Statistics. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b Sir Frederick Treves (1905). Highways and Byways in Dorset. Macmillan and Co. Ltd. pp. 244–250.
  6. ^ Ralph Wightman (1983). Portrait of Dorset (4 ed.). Robert Hale Ltd. p. 172. ISBN 0-7090-0844-9.
  7. ^ "British History Online.Portesham". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  8. ^ West Dorset Holiday and Tourist Guide. West Dorset District Council. c. 1983. p. 14.
  9. ^ "Place: Portesham". Open Domesday. domesdaymap.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  10. ^ "Portesham". weymouth-dorset.co.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Portesham West Dorset. History". www.portesham.org.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  12. ^ "Portesham Stone Quarry". pastscape.org.uk. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  13. ^ "Eat & Drink". Portesham. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Chesil Bank ward 2011". Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  15. ^ "About us" Portesham: St Peter. A church near you. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Living Churchyards project" Dorset Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Kelly's Directory of Dorset, 1915 - Page 178". specialcollections.le.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2020.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Portesham.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portesham&oldid=1206103739"