Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
Portsmouth
Portsmouth has the distinction of being the UK’s only island city, sited on Portsea Island, although with land reclamation carried out in the latter part of the 20th century the “gap” to the mainland is very narrow indeed, indeed a pedant could argue it is no longer an island.
Portsmouth’s strategic position is the result of Portsmouth Harbour, a fairly deep harbour with a very narrow entrance. The entrance to the harbour being little more than 715 feet (218 m) wide, making it very easily defendable.
The history of Portsmouth can be traced back to the Romans, who quickly recognised the defensive advantage of the harbour and they built Portchester Castle at the top end.
At one time Portsmouth was the worlds most fortified city.
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The city played a key role in World War 2 and, consequently, Portsmouth suffered terribly in the Blitz.
I remember growing up in Portsmouth and even in the late 1960’s many areas in the city centre were still bomb sites from the war.
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Of course these sites are no more and they have been redeveloped making Portsmouth a modern vibrant city, whilst still retaining its historical significance.
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Portsmouth has many famous sons with author Charles Dickens, engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, former Prime Minister James Callaghan, actor Peter Sellers all being born in Portsmouth. Maintaining the literary connection Sir Arthur Conan Doyle practiced as a doctor here and Rudyard Kipling also lived here.
History
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Portsmouth itself wasn’t mentioned in the Doomsday Book but the areas of Bocheland (Buckland), Copenore (Copnor) and Frodentone (Fratton) were.
Richard I granted Portsmouth a Royal Charter in 1194 and this was reaffirmed by King John in 1212, when he established the first Naval Base. 1212 also saw the building of Domus Dei, originally a hospital, which became a church, which is now the iconic, roofless, Garrison Church.
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In the 1530’s Henry VIII ordered the building of Southsea Castle and it was from the castle he saw his flagship, Mary Rose, sink with the loss of 500 lives in 1545.
Henry Ford is often credited with developing the production when he began making the Model T car.
He didn’t, the worlds first production line was set up Marc Kingdom Brunel (Isambard’s father) in 1803, making pulley blocks for ships rigging, of course, in Portsmouth.
Portsmouth was granted city status in 1926.
During WW2 the city was blitzed 67 times, destroying over 6,500 houses as well as badly damaging a similar number.
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What To Do In Portsmouth
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Portsmouth has two theatres the Kings Theatre in Southsea and the New Theatre Royal.
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The Guildhall seats 2,500 and it home to many concerts throughout the year.
Many of the cities old defence related establishments are now museums.
The biggest, of course, is the Dockyard, now known as Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Home to almost all things nautical it is home to HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship on which he died and still a Commissioned vessel of the Royal Navy. HMS Warrior, Britain’s first iron clad battleship.
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Mary Rose, which was salvaged in 1982 and it’s only now, some 30 odd years later, the preservation work as allowed her to be righted.
Throw in the Royal Navy Museum and Action Stations, a hands on adventure centre for children, there is more than enough to keep you occupied for several days.
An all attraction pass, valid for one year, costs £35 for an adult and £16 for a child, with concessions available. Tickets may be purchased for individual attractions at £18 for an adult, £13 for a child and £16.20 for a concession. Opening hours are 10:00 – 17:30 in the summer, closing half an hour earlier in the winter. Be aware due to the fact some of the Dockyard is still a working Naval Base security is tight and a 100% baggage search policy is in place.
Other military attractions are HMS Nelson on Portsdown Hill, now part of the Royal Armouries. The old fort has been fully restored with access to tunnels and ramparts. Open daily from 10:00 – 17:00 in the summer and 10:00 – 16:00 in the winter and, best of all, admission is free.
Southsea Castle is another attraction offering free admission, generally open six days a week from the end of March to the end of October from 10:00 – 17:00. It is closed Mondays, apart from Bank Holidays.
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Close to Southsea Castle is the D-Day Museum. Currently undergoing a major renovation the museum is due to reopen in Spring 2018. The museum, obviously I suppose, tells the story of the Normandy landing in June 1944. The centrepiece of the museum is the Overlord Embroidery, designed to be a modern day version of the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Consisting of 34 panels giving a total length of 272 feet (83m) (33 feet / 10m longer than its Bayeux cousin) it tells the story of the D-Day landings.
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Opening times are still to be confirmed but admission prices will be adult £10, senior £8, child £5 and, most pleasingly, WW2 veterans pay nothing at all to go in.
Finally on the military front the old Royal Marines barracks in Eastney now have a new purpose. A large part has been converted to housing but part of the barracks were home to the Royal Marines Museum. However, the museum has now closed pending a move to the Historic Dockyard.
Moving away from things military Gunwharf Quays is a major development near the entrance to the harbour, mainly a shopping and eating complex the Quays are also home to the Emirates Spinnaker Tower.
The 560 foot (170.6 m) tall structure was built to commemorate the new millennium it didn’t open until 2005 after it was fraught with design difficulties. There are three viewing decks on the upper levels, two internal and one external offering stunning views. For the brave (or foolish) the lower viewing gallery has a glass floor.
They offer a view guarantee, if you cannot see the three Solent forts, you can return any time in the following three months. Adult admission is £10.50, senior £9.50 and child £8.50 which gives you unlimited access for the day of purchase. Portsmouth residents can obtain a 20% discount. The attraction opens at 10:00 daily with the closing time varying throughout the year.
The Gunwharf is also a departure point for the waterbus which does tours of the harbour. Fares are £8 adult and £5 for a child. Tours take between 40-50 minutes, Timings vary and are weather dependent. You are allowed to photograph the Navy ships that may be in port. For security reasons the tour boats are not allowed within 50m of any Navy vessel.
Old Portsmouth, as its name implies, is the historical area of the city. Home to the renowned Portsmouth Point, it’s from here that Nelson would set off on his last voyage. with narrow cobbles streets and historic pubs it is a popular area of the city.
The area is home to the Anglican Cathedral and the old city walls, encompassing the Round and Square Towers. The Round Tower lies at the narrowest point of the harbour entrance and it is round because, as part of the early fences a chain was laid across the harbour entrance which could be wound up to block the harbour entrance preventing enemy ships entering the harbour.
Earlier I mentioned the Garrison Church. It has had a long illustrious history. Built as a hostel for pilgrims, as part of a hospital complex by the Bishop of Winchester in 1212. It was used as an ammunition store before becoming part the Governor's Residence in the time of Queen Elizabeth.
Restored as a church in the 19th Century the nave was fire-bombed in 1941, The decision was taken not to restore the nave and it now stands as a monument to the destruction of the Second World War. Modern stained glass windows tell the story of the World War. Now under the care of English Heritage it can be visited from April to September.
Southsea is the resort of Portsmouth although, be warned, it has a shingle beach. The beach stretches for 3½ miles although it is only the western section of about a mile between the piers which is commercialised.
As indicated, Southsea has two piers, Clarence Pier at the western end of the seafront has a small funfair as well as the usual arcades and amusements. South Parade Pier is more of a traditional seaside pier although it is fair to say it has seen better days.
A large part of Southsea is given over to Southsea Common, reclaimed marshland covering some 480 acres (190 ha). Popular with kite flyers, it’s also a popular picnic area and is home to various shows throughout the year.
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Portsmouth has a football team, which once used to be good but is now, at best, mediocre.
Portsmouth has several ferries travelling long and short journeys.
The shortest regular ferry is the Gosport Ferry, with the journey across the harbour taking about five minutes.
There is a hovercraft service from Southsea to Ryde on the Isle of Wight, with the journey taking about ten minutes. A fast cat service runs from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde. A car ferry operates to Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight from Old Portsmouth.
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Going further afield the International Ferry Terminal has ferries operating to the Channel Islands, France and Spain.
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Return to Coast - Portsmouth to Dover
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