Portsmouth
Home to Britain’s main naval base, Portsmouth is a city rooted in the proud maritime history of the nation ‘that rules the waves’.
Portsmouth harbour is the spiritual home of the Royal Navy and forms an outstanding maritime arena offering a unique combination of leisure and heritage activities with one of the richest maritime histories imaginable.
The famous Naval centre of Britain for the past 500 years, Portsmouth has an intriguing mix of historic ships, castles and museums. Flagship Portsmouth, the city’s Naval Heritage Area has some of the most famous vessels in Britain’s sea faring history.
These include the hull of Henry VIII 's flagship The Mary Rose that sank in 1545. Preserved in the Solent silt it was retrieved in 1982 after more than 400 years on the seabed. The Mary Rose exhibition also includes other artefacts piecing together life at sea in Tudor times.
Flagship Portsmouth also includes the famous HMS Victory Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 at which Britain’s most celebrated maritime hero defeated the French and Spanish fleet despite overwhelming odds and at the cost of his own life. In the 1920s Victory was permanently moored at the docks after 150 years at sea, though it still remains commissioned and manned by Royal Navy personnel. The guided tours take you through life as a salty sea dog.
The last of the great ships is HMS Warrior of 1860, Britain’s first ironclad battleship and the pride of Queen Victoria ’s Navy. Also of maritime interest is the Royal Naval Museum with numerous galleries outlining the many naval battles in Britain’s history and Portsea Island nearby, which is home to the country’s principle naval base.
At the height of the spice trade, Old Portsmouth (then named Spice Island) was infamous for its hundreds of pubs and brothels. Today Portsmouth is a modern and exciting leisure destination bustling with shops, restaurants and bars along the waterfront entertainment complex, the Gunwharf Quays. The New Theatre Royal holds everything from drama to jazz evenings. Portsmouth Harbour is also the destination for visiting the Isle of Wight with regular ferry and catamaran links to this popular holiday island.
