| Portsmouth
is an island city on the coast of Southern England,
and because of its sheltered location (The Isle
of Wight protects it from the winds of the South
and Portsdown hill protect it from the North).
The weather is milder than other parts of England.
The average daily temperature is 20°C during
the summer months, falling to 12°C in winter.
Rainfall is lower than the national average
and snow is very rare the last big fall being
1982.
Portsmouth has daily Ferry crossings to Europe,
France, Spain, Jersey and Guernsey. Crossings
to the Isle of Wight are ever 30 minutes or
so depending on how you want to go. The car
ferry runs every 30 minutes, the catamaran
runs every 20 and the Hovercraft runs every
15 minutes. The Solent has a reputation as
one of the Worlds most popular sailing venues.
During August each year you can see the boats
racing during Cowes’s week from the
sea front at Southsea. Global Challenge 2004/2005
left from Portsmouth on Sunday 3rd October
2004, 12 identical 72ft ocean racing yachts
sailed from Portsmouth. They will finish at
Portsmouth on the 17th July 2005. If you like
sailing you will love Portsmouth.
With its historic ships, castles, forts and
museums, you can explore the heritage of Maritime
England. At Portsmouth's Royal Dockyard -
home of the Royal Navy for centuries displays
three famous ships from the history of sea
warfare. In 1545 Henry VIII's flagship the
'Mary Rose' sank before his eyes in Portsmouth
Harbour on its way to fight the French. It
was recovered from the seabed in 1982 and
now you can see her for yourself at the Historic
Dockyard as well as HMS Victory the flagship
of Lord Nelson, see the spot where Nelson
died. The Dockyard is also home to HMS Warrior,
The Royal Naval Museum, the Dockyard Apprentice
Exhibition and Action Stations.
From the Seafront in Southsea you can walk
along the Millennium path, which takes you
around Old Portsmouth and its fishing port,
along to Gunwharf Quays where the old and
the new come together. You can shop at over
85 designer outlets, eat at one of 20 or so
bars & restaurants, or go to the cinema.
Other attractions in Portsmouth include Henry
VIII Castle, Charles Dickens Birthplace, The
Round Towers, D-Day Museum, The Pyramids,
Fort Nelson, Royal Marines Museum, The Submarine
museum, Portchester castle, Port Solent, Continental
Ferries, and many more.
Look through these web pages and find out
more about Portsmouth and its history. Use
the links on the left to explore this site. |
