The Royal George
by Geoff_Wright
A story worth repeating here is about the sinking of the Royal George in 1782.
'The Royal George was launched in 1756. Her compliment was 864 men and 104 guns. She was in turn the flagship of Admirals Anson, Boscawen and Rodney, and was the finest ship in the Navy. She sank on August 29th, 1782, while lying at Spithead. It is estimated that about 900 persons perished, including Admiral Kempenfelt: for, as was customary with Navy ships preparing for sea, the Royal George was crowded with shore folk. According to the Admiralty report at the time, some repairs to her watercock had been ordered. To raise the tap above the water the ship was canted over: her port guns were run out as far as possible and her starboard guns were brought inboard, amidships. Unfortunately the lower gun ports were left open, and the sea washing in added enormously to the overwhelming weight on the port side. The danger was realized too late: the doomed vessel heeled over, carrying hundreds of men and women to the bottom.'
An inquiry later proved that this version was untrue. Owing to the neglected condition of the ship the bottom fell out, and she sank like a stone.
See my Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Travelogue for more historic information. Just click here
Portsmouth Royal Dockyard
Paulsgrove
by micajo
Paulsgrove is an area of northern Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. Paulsgrove existed as a small hamlet on the old Portsmouth to Southampton road for many years. During the early twentieth century Paulsgrove Racecourse was built north of the village on the slopes of Portsdown Hill and a halt built to cater for raceday traffic[1] . The area was incorporated into the city of Portsmouth in 1920.
Towards the end of World War II it became clear that to the City Council that a massive programme of house building was needed to replace those homes destroyed by bombing. As part of this programme, land in Paulsgrove was purchased and building began in 1945. The initial housing was prefabricated but later houses were built more conventionally.
In August 2000, Paulsgrove made the national and international news as mobs attacked residences of suspected and actual paedophiles. These disturbances came shortly after the News of the World put pressure on the government to give parents the right to know if their children are living close to a convicted sex offender, in response to the Murder of Sarah Payne in nearby West Sussex in July 2000.[
Parking in Portsmouth and...
by SMeeds
Parking in Portsmouth and Southsea never seems quite so difficult as in other cities. The railway line from London Waterloo stops at Portsmouth and Southsea station (for the city centre) and Portsmouth Harbour (for the ferries and the Historic dockyard). There are ferries from France (Caen and Cherbourg), ferries and a hovercraft from the Isle of Wight, and ferries from Gosport. The nearest airport is Eastleigh (Southampton).
When I was living in Portsmouth I mainly walked, although some of the distances can be quite big. Driving is an option, I have never found parking near the seafront out of season a problem. I am sure there are buses, but I don't know the current state of the service.
The Still & West Country House
by hayward68
The Still & West Country House
Wonderfully situated on the waterfront with a great terrace for enjoying the warm summer nights. My friend had a pint of prawns here and loved it! You can get pub grub downstairs or head upstairs to the restaurant, which supposedly has a wonderful view of the area.
THE HISTORIC DOCKYARD 2
by jayhawk2000
HMS Victory was the flagship of Admiral Nelson, one of Britain's most popular (and most colourful) military heroes.
On 21 October 1805 the Victory sailed into battle with Napoleon's fleet off Spain's Cape Trafalgar. The one-armed and one-eyed Admiral led the British fleet into battle with the signal 'England expects that every man will do his duty' flying from the Victory's masts.
The British proceeded to rout the French and Spaniards, but a French marksman shot Nelson as he gave orders from the deck. A plaque commemorates the spot. You can also see where he died below decks. To preserve the body for the state funeral, Nelson was packed into a barrel of brandy!
You will be given a timed ticket to join a tour of the ship. Don't miss your slot as you can't reschedule! Going under deck is an incredible experience. The living conditions of the crew were unbelievable: 500 men lived on one deck, slept in hammocks and shared the ship with livestock. You may also hear the origins of phrases like 'three square meals a day' or 'not enough room to swing a cat.'
A ticket for the Victory includes admission to the adjacent Royal Naval Museum. Here you can see an exhibit on Nelson's legendary life.
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Spice Island pubs at the 'Point'
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Spinnaker Tower
One of the Overlord panels
