Portsmouth

A place in history

For centuries this great city has helped shape this nation's history. Home of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth is a city with spirit and pride. Come and find out why the people of Portsmouth are so passionate about their city and story.

Visit Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and take an exciting journey through 500 years of history, find out why the Dockyard was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution that changed the world and the crucial role it has played in times of war and peace. It  is one of the top ten heritage attractions in the UK, home to Admiral Lord Nelson's world famous ship HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860 and Henry VIII's Mary Rose. Visit the spot where Nelson fell at the Battle of  Trafalgar, see over 1000 Tudor artefacts perfectly preserved from the Mary Rose or try your hand at some modern navy skills at the interactive Action Stations!

The city has no less than twelve museums where you can find out more about Portsmouth's story and the people that have helped to write it, including its famous sons Charles Dickens, Brunel and Conan Doyle. Visit Dickens' Birthplace now preserved as a museum, or why not try a tate of the world's greatest Sherlock Holmes collection - on view at Portsmouth's City Museum (free entry). Click on the 'Famous faces' link to discover more about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

If you just want to soak up the atmosphere then discover history for yourself in the narrow lanes and cobbled streets along the waterfont. See where convicts and heros left England for the last time. Explore the Square and the Round Tower and discover fortifications ordered by Henry V to ward off invaders, you may hear the echoes of sad farewells and heroic returns. This is after all the most haunted city on the South coast and was recently featured on TV's 'Most Haunted'!

Why not take a guided walk, hop on board a guided bus tour or follow the Renaissance Trail. Don't miss Portsmouth's Anglican Cathedral dating back to 1185, St John's RC Cathedral in the heart of the city and the Royal Garrison Church. Silent witnesses to centuries of war and peace, all have unique and dramatic histories and are well worth a visit.

for a taste of history enjoy the pubs of Spice Island where once press gangs lined up new recruits. Enjoy lunch right on the waterside and watch the world float by, pick up dinner at the fish market on the Camber or head indoors to a cosy tea room.