Portsmouth

How many passengers on cross-Channel ferries arriving in Portsmouth realise they are sailing into England’s finest maritime city? This is the kind of place that invites you to take the sea air, whether it’s from the comfort of a waterfront restaurant or the deck of a boat.
There sure are a lot of boats, from flotillas of yachts and big Channel ferries to modern warships and historic naval vessels. There’s no denying, this is England’s hub of nautical activities.

The major maritime sights are gathered together in the Historic Dockyard - an incredible place - where else can you see more than 500 years of maritime history all in the same spot? At one end of the historical spectrum there is the Mary Rose, King Henry VIII’s flag ship. Laden with a wealth of riches she sank in 1545, where she remained on the seabed of Portsmouth harbour until 1982 when she was raised from her watery grave. The ship and many of her treasures present a unique picture of the men who lived, fought and died on her. At the other end of the historical spectrum there is Action Stations! Portsmouth is still the home of the Royal Navy and this attraction gives the visitor the opportunity to test their skills on some of the most sophisticated technology in the world.

In between the two extremes there is the Royal Navy’s most famous warship HMS Victory, commanded by Admiral Lord Nelson in the 1800s. Clamber aboard and see the rows of cannons and the cramped quarters where the men had to work and sleep. Then there’s HMS Warrior 1860, the world’s first iron-clad battleship, built in 1860 and still in perfect condition. For a greater appreciation of these vessels and the work of the Royal Navy take in the audio-visual exhibitions at the adjacent Royal Naval Museum and browse amongst the nautical souvenirs and books before you leave.

It’s worth taking the harbour cruise to get a close-up look at the Royal Navy’s modern warships: the on-board commentary will give you the insights into all their high-tech gadgetry. As part of the tour you also get the chance to jump off at Gosport to take in the Submarine Museum.

An easy walk from the Historic Dockyard is Gunwharf Quays and the perfect contrast to a morning’s sightseeing. This impressive leisure complex has smart waterfront restaurants and big name shops, such as Gap and Calvin Klein, each offering good reductions. Spinnaker Tower, an ambitious new landmark under construction is proving to be an impressive sight. Upon completion in summer 2004, it will soar 170 metres into the sky and provide awesome views from its observation decks.

Although on a smaller scale, the shops and restaurants clustered around the marina at Port Solent present yet another opportunity to shop, refresh and watch the yachting fraternity in action. (If the sight of all these boats gives you the urge to join in, then consider taking a two-day sailing course with Sunsail who are based at Port Solent.)

But its not all boats and sailors. Victorian novelist Charles Dickens was born here in 1812 and his birthplace is now a museum. The furniture, ceramics and household objects and decorations have been faithfully recreated in the Regency style to give a true reflection of how the house would have looked when Charles was living there. Fans of the author can see the treasured collection of memorabilia, including the couch on which he died.

Although badly bombed during World War II due to its military importance, there remain some fine examples of Georgian and Tudor architecture in the area known as Old Portsmouth. Wander down the maze of cobbled streets to the old city walls, where adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh landed the first potatoes and tobacco from the New World. If you climb to the top of the Round Tower and look out across the narrow strip of water known as the Solent, you will clearly see the Isle of Wight. The many ferries which service this popular holiday island will have you there is less than half and hour.

Queen Victoria loved it so much she had a holiday home built there, the stately Osborne House, whose doors are now open to the public. Mighty castles like Carisbrooke and Yarmouth, built to defend the island, are there to be explored too. The island packs in a surprising variety of landscapes. Follow one of the walking trails and explore the undulating countryside and the high-cliff tops which dip down to reveal clear-water beaches or hop on one of the island’s buses to discover villages of thatched-roof cottages and old-fashioned tearooms.

Southsea is the city’s seaside resort district, where along with the usual seaside attractions there are yet more sites of naval military interest. Of great fascination is the D-Day Museum, which tells the story of how thousands of men and their equipment were amassed in Portsmouth in preparation for ‘Operation Overlord’ and the final liberation of Europe. The museum’s most striking exhibit is the 272 feet long Overlord Embroidery; acting as a modern counterpart to the Bayeux Tapestry, it depicts the events from that momentous campaign. A mile further along the seafront the Royal Marines Museum reveals the life and history of the navy’s elite fighting force.