What’s in a name?

This is the quaintly named Goatee Beach, a waterfront recreational area on Southampton Water overlooking the container port.

It’s a favoured place for ramblers and dog walkers and provides an unspoiled view of the upper reaches of Southampton Water against a background of the shipping activity. It adjoins the tidal creek at Eling dominated by shipping container storage, recreational boating and the presence of an historic tide mill.

It’s not a beach for bathing perhaps, although today a number of dogs being taken for walks by the water were clearly making the most of frisking along the waterline. According to the history books, ships were once built along the nearby quay.

It’s often a landing space too for jet skis launched from the nearby creek.

But the name? I am still trying to discover the origin of why it’s called Goatee Beach.

I hope that somewhere a fellow Blipper will provide the answer.