Portsmouth Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Portsmouth

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle claims a warrior named Port and his two sons killed a noble Briton in Portsmouth in 501 AD. Winston Churchill, in his "A History of the English-Speaking Peoples," wrote that Port was a pirate who founded Portsmouth in the same year.

King AEthelwulf sent a force to drive off Viking raiders in Portsmouth in the 9th century. The Danes loved Portsmouth, but they had to leave. The next invaders were Normans under William the Conqueror. They stayed.

King Richard I granted a royal charter making Portsmouth a market town in 1194. John, Richard's successor, established Portsmouth as a permanent naval base. William of Wrothham built the first docks in 1212.

Portsmouth has been an important Royal Navy dockyard and base for centuries. It had to fend off a few invasion attempts. The French tried in 1545 at the Battle of the Solent. The Spanish Armada called in 1588. By 1900, the city was one of the most fortified in the world.

HM Naval Base Portsmouth has the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Historical warships on display include Henry VIII's MARY ROSE, Nelson's VICTORY, the oldest commissioned warship, the iron-clad HMS WARRIOR, and others.

Gun Wharf Quays, a vast shopping compound in the heart of Portsmouth, has over 100 stores and restaurants. The pub and club scene after dark should not be missed. Spinnaker Tower offers thrills high above the Quays. Clarence Pier has rollercoasters, miniature golf, and fun arcades.

Portsmouth has left its mark on Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, H. G. Wells, and other famous writers and artists. Travel, adventure, literature, discovery, and wonder, you will find them all together in Portsmouth.