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| Underhill! |
Portland to the locals is really made up of two main parts, which as you can guess are called "tophill" and "underhill"... the actual "hill" this refers to can be seen in this picture.
New Road, which runs from underhill to tophill can be seen running up through the very left of this picture.
That is really what we say here, "going up top" or "down under" when we mention where on the Island we are going to and meaning exactly that.
Underhill is small, tight rows of homes, as you can see here it's all hills, whereas tophill is flatter and more open spaced, on foot it balances out, more walking up top but on flat land, hills galore down underhill but less distance.
Yet there is more to Portland than two parts, in reality. Check above the picture and there should be a map link. "portland, dorset, uk" from which, as you can see in map mode, that Portland has 5 main parts.
- Fortuneswell (Underhill)
- Easton (Tophill)
- Weston (Tophill)
- Grove (Tophill)
- Southwell (Tophill)
Using the map link as mentioned but on street view setting, you can travel around the island.... it is addictive that! :o)
Starting at Victoria square and following the main road on street view you can get a great idea of how the island "fits" together.
At one time tophill and underhill people hated each other, they were constantly at war with each other, people didn't even come off the island back in those days.
Thomas Hardy called Portland "The island of slingers"... this refers to the fact people long ago up tophill would stand above underhill and throw stones at those down underhill.
Glad that doesn't happen anymore!
Even now though, we on Portland are either tophill or underhill people, I currently live in underhill but I am a tophill person having grown up up there.
I do hope that the "underhill" and "tophill" meanings become a little clearer to those who wondered.
