Hampshire Reports
Review of Portsmouth by Pete on April 8th, 2006
The Historic Naval Dockyard is a very exciting part of Portsmouth, that has much on offer, including HMS Victory, The Mary Rose Museum, HMS Warrior, historic buildings from the Georgian period and, of course, the great remains of Henry the Eighth's favourite warship, the Mary Rose, skillfully lifted from the murky waters of The Solent in 1982, and now resting in her undercover dry dock, close by to where she was originally built. Henry the Eighth helplessly watched this great ship sink from his vantage point on the battlements of nearby Southsea Castle, and next to a few attempts at retrieving the ship during Elizabethan times, it was largely forgotten, until its rediscovery, in 1970. Portchester, a few miles to the west of Portsmouth, was originally the premier point, before the rise of Portsmouth. The Romans built a Saxon Shore Fort here, which still stands strong and proud in the shape of Portchester Castle, which the Normans later put to good use by building a huge Keep within the Roman walls. It is a fascinating place to visit, although you will have to look into train connections as Portchester is not a major station, hence Chichester railway station really being the best changing point to find the correct train.
Brit Quote: |
|
On this day: |