Portsmouth's Naval Heritage Walk 2011 Invitation

 Do you know about Millennium trail?

Do you know about Trafagal Battle?

Do you know exact location where was Lord Nelson took a boat to his HMS Victory?

Who is Admiral Nelson?

Have you see HMS Victory?

Whether or not you can answer the questions above, let's step back in time around the streets, quays and dockyards of Old Portsmouth.

HMS Victory

UPMY committees will be touring MSA members to the Paths Sea wall defences, cobbled streets, pavements, Landscape Historic streets, docklands, busy harbour and waterfront.


Date: 19.2.2011, Saturday
Time :12p.m.
Place to meet: Clarence Parade, Southsea, Hampshire PO5 3AA
Cost: Free of Charge
Route: From Clearance Pier to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Distance: 3 miles (4.8km)
Minimum time: 2 hours 30 minutes


This afternoon walk is a leisure walk with all MSA members to share and enjoy the history of Portsmouth.

Notice: If the weather on Saturday is not good (ie: raining), the committee might cancel the heritage walk on that day. We will inform the participants through FB update and SMS (If we have your contact). Please don't mind to give us your contact details if you want us to update any news from the UPMY.

Background to the walk

Resource: AA For the Road Ahead

Portsmouth is steeped in maritime history. For over 800 years it has been the home of the Royal Navy, playing a key role in the defence of the British Empire and synonymous with Nelson's victory at Trafalgar. It was from these shores that many of Britain's great naval heroes set sail to earn their place in history. Those days may have gone but their legacy lives on in Old Portsmouth, with its quaint houses and colourful waterfront. On this route you can walk along the centuries-old fortifications and discover Britain's naval heritage.


History is brought to life by the majestic ships and fascinating museums and exhibitions. Allow plenty of time to visit the site, for there is much to see and explore. See the spot where Nelson died on HMS Victory, view the hull of Henry VIII's favourite warship, which sank in 1545 with the loss of 700 men and dramatically rose again from the sea bed in 1982, then step back in time and experience life aboard a Tudor warship by visiting the amazing Mary Rose Exhibition. Explore the four vast decks of HMS Warrior, Britain's first iron-clad battleship, built in 1860, and discover more about the Navy in the absorbing Royal Navy Museum. This includes the Victory Gallery and a breathtaking recreation of HMS Victory's gundeck at the height of the Battle of Trafalgar, in Action Stations, a new exhibition area.


The Garrison Church, founded in 1212 as a hospice for travellers and the sick, was where Charles II married his Portuguese bride, Catherine of Braganza, in 1662. It was reduced to its roofless state by bombing during the Blitz in World War Two.


Spice Island, a tiny peninsula of narrow cobbled lanes, lay outside the 17th-century walls and during the 18th and 19th centuries was bursting with all the life, danger and excitement one associates with a thriving naval port, filled with sailors and press gangs. At one time, it was said, 2,000 prostitutes and 200 beer houses could be found here, along with gambling saloons and cock fighting.


The waterfront land here, closed to the public for centuries, has now been opened up for everyone to enjoy. There are public promenades, viewing terraces for maritime events and berths for tall ships, and the bright and bustling Gunwharf Quays complex now features cafés, bars, restaurants, a cinema and over 80 shops.

Figurehead of Nelson at Portsmouth Historic Dock

Reference: 
Portsmouth Naval Heritage. (2011), Retrieved February 11, 2011, from the AA For the Road Ahead website: http://www.theaa.com/walks/portsmouths-naval-heritage-420526
Hampshire Guide Attraction. (2011), Retrieved February 12, 2011, from Sandy Acres Campsite website: http://www.sacamp.co.uk/localattractions.htm 
Heather. (2009), Ships and Shopping at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Retrieved February 12, 2011, from http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/ships-and-shopping-at-portsmouth-historic-dockyard/