HMS Victory, the Mary Rose and a tower with a view to the Isle of Wight: Portsmouth is Britain’s island city and the home of the Royal Navy.
Portsmouth is Britain’s only island city, built mostly on Portsea Island on the south coast. For more than eight hundred years it has been the home of the Royal Navy, and its dockyard has built, repaired and sent out ships that fought in almost every major naval battle in British history.
Today Portsmouth is a lively city with some of the best maritime museums in the world, a long seafront, a landmark tower and ferries to the Isle of Wight and the Continent. Charles Dickens was born here. This guide covers six things to see and do.
1. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is one of the great maritime heritage sites of the world. It is home to three of the most famous ships in British history, as well as museums telling the story of the Royal Navy. A whole day is not too long here.
HMS Victory was Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where he was killed at the moment of victory. She is the oldest naval ship still in commission in the world. You can walk through her decks and see the spot where Nelson fell.
The Mary Rose was the favourite warship of King Henry VIII. She sank in the Solent in 1545, and in 1982 she was raised from the seabed in a famous operation watched by millions. Her remains, and thousands of objects found with her, are displayed in a museum that gives an extraordinary glimpse of Tudor life.
HMS Warrior, launched in 1860, was the first iron hulled armoured warship, and in her day she was the most powerful ship in the world. Tickets for the dockyard usually allow unlimited visits for a year. A waterbus crosses the harbour to the Submarine Museum in Gosport, where you can go aboard a real submarine.
2. The Spinnaker Tower
The Spinnaker Tower is a tall white tower shaped like a sail, standing on the edge of Portsmouth Harbour. It is one hundred and seventy metres tall, and it has become the symbol of the modern city. It opened in 2005.
Lifts take you up to viewing decks high above the harbour, with views for miles across the city, the Solent and the Isle of Wight. On a clear day you can see more than twenty miles. It is a great way to understand the geography of the area.
One of the viewing decks has a glass floor, where you can stand and look straight down at the ground far below. It is a thrilling experience, and not for anyone afraid of heights. There is also a café with views.
For the brave, the tower sometimes offers abseiling down its side. The tower is at Gunwharf Quays, a short walk from Portsmouth Harbour station. It is lit up in different colours at night.
3. Gunwharf Quays and Old Portsmouth
Gunwharf Quays, beside the Spinnaker Tower, is a large outlet shopping centre on the waterfront, with designer outlets, restaurants, bars and a cinema. It stands on the site of an old naval armaments depot. On summer evenings, its waterfront terraces are busy.
Old Portsmouth, a short walk away, is the historic heart of the city. Its narrow streets, old pubs and houses lead down to the harbour mouth. The Round Tower and the Hot Walls, old defences at the entrance to the harbour, are great places to watch ships coming in and out.
The Hot Walls have been turned into artists’ studios and a café. From here you can watch ferries, warships and yachts pass through the narrow harbour entrance. It is one of the best free shows in the city.
Portsmouth Cathedral, in Old Portsmouth, has a medieval heart and a modern extension. It is free to visit. The old pubs of Old Portsmouth are lovely places for a drink.
4. Southsea
Southsea, the seaside resort at the southern end of Portsea Island, has a long promenade, pebble beaches and two piers. It is a lovely place for a walk, a swim or an ice cream. The seafront stretches for several miles.
Southsea Castle was built by King Henry VIII in 1544 to defend the coast, and it was from here that he watched the Mary Rose sink. You can explore the castle and climb to the top for views. It is free to visit.
Southsea Common, a large grassy area behind the seafront, hosts events and festivals in summer. Clarence Pier has an amusement park, and South Parade Pier is a traditional Victorian pier. The beach huts along the seafront add colour.
From Southsea, a hovercraft crosses the Solent to Ryde on the Isle of Wight in around ten minutes. It is the only year round passenger hovercraft service in the world. It is a fun way to reach the island.
5. The D-Day Story
The D-Day Story, on Southsea seafront, tells the story of the Normandy landings of June 1944, when Allied forces invaded France to begin the liberation of Europe. Portsmouth played a vital role, as many of the forces set out from here. The museum is a moving tribute to those who took part.
Its star exhibit is the Overlord Embroidery, a huge embroidery more than eighty metres long, telling the story of D-Day in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry. It took years to make. Walking along it is a powerful experience.
The museum uses personal stories, objects and film to tell the story of the planning, the landings and the aftermath. Outside, there is a landing craft that carried tanks to the beaches, which you can go aboard. The museum is suitable for all ages.
Every June, events are held to remember D-Day. The museum is next to Southsea Castle. Allow a couple of hours.
6. Dickens, Portchester and the Isle of Wight
Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812, and the house where he was born is now a museum. It is furnished as it would have been at the time. It is a small but charming visit for fans of his novels.
Portchester Castle, at the northern end of Portsmouth Harbour, stands inside the walls of a Roman fort, the most complete Roman walls in northern Europe. A medieval castle was built in one corner. It is looked after by English Heritage and makes a lovely visit.
Fort Nelson, on Portsdown Hill above the city, is a Victorian fort that houses the Royal Armouries’ collection of artillery, with guns from around the world. It is free to visit. The views over Portsmouth from the hill are wonderful.
The Isle of Wight is a short ferry ride away, with car ferries and fast passenger boats, as well as the hovercraft. The island has beaches, cliffs, Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s seaside home, and the Needles. It makes a wonderful day trip.
Getting there and getting around
Portsmouth has two main central stations. Portsmouth Harbour, beside Gunwharf Quays and the ferry terminals, and Portsmouth and Southsea, in the city centre, both have trains to London Waterloo in around an hour and a half to an hour and three quarters. There are also direct trains to Brighton, Southampton and Bristol.
Southampton Airport is about twenty miles west, and Gatwick and Heathrow are each around an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half away by road. The international ferry port has sailings to France, Spain and the Channel Islands. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to travel between Portsmouth, the airports and the ferry terminals.
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