History of Portsmouth

Portsmouth is an island port city situated on Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire, England. Its history has been influenced by its association with the sea, and its proximity to London, and mainland Europe.

Roman[]

Portus Adurni which later became known as Portchester Castle, was one of the Saxon Shore forts and was a major base of the Classis Britannica and possibly its Headquarters.

Pre-Norman[]

Although there have been settlements in the area since before Roman times, mostly being offshoots of Portchester, Portsmouth is commonly regarded as having been founded in 1180 by John of Gisors (Jean de Gisors). Most early records of Portsmouth are thought to have been destroyed by Norman invaders following the Norman Conquest. The earliest detailed references to Portsmouth can be found in the Southwick Cartularies.^[1]

However, the Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names gives the Anglo-Saxon name "Portesmūða" as late as the 9th century, meaning "mouth [of the harbour called] Portus" (from Latin). In Anglo-Saxon times a folk etymology "[harbour] mouth belonging to a man called Port" arose, which caused a statement in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle that in 501 AD "Port and his 2 sons, Bieda and Mægla, came with 2 ships to Britain at the place which is called Portsmouth". It has been suggested that this is more likely to refer to the area around Portchester.^[1]

Medieval[]

Norman[]

In the Domesday Book there is no mention of Portsmouth. However, settlements that later went on to form part of Portsmouth are listed. These are Buckland, Copnor, Fratton on Portsea Island and Cosham, Wymering and Drayton on the mainland. At this time it is estimated the Portsmouth area had a population not greater than two or three hundred.

While in the primary diocese of Portsea there was a small church prior to 1166 (now St Mary's in Fratton) Portsmouth's first real church came into being in 1181 when John of Gisors granted an acre (4,000 m²) of land to Augustinian monks at the Southwick Priory to build a chapel dedicated to Thomas Becket. This chapel continued to be run by the monks of Southwick Priory until the Reformation after which its possession was transferred to Winchester College. The modern Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral is built on the original location of the chapel.^[1] The original grant referred to the area as Sudewde however a later grant a few years later used the name Portsmouth.^[1]

Growth of the city[]

In 1194, after he returned from being held captive by Duke Leopold V of Austria, King Richard I (The Lionheart) set about summoning a fleet and an army to Portsmouth, which he had taken over from John of Gisors.^[2] On 2 May 1194 the king gave Portsmouth its first Royal Charter granting permission for the city to hold a fifteen-day annual fair (which became known as the Free Market Fair), weekly markets (on Thursdays), to set up a local court to deal with minor matters,^[2] and exemption from paying the annual tax ("farm") of £18 a year—instead the money would be used for local matters. The actual physical charter was handed over by the Bishop of Ely William de Longchamps.^[2] The present location of the charter is currently unknown but its text survives, as when later royal charters were granted to the city reaffirming and extending its privileges large parts of the original charter were quoted verbatim.

As a crescent and an eight-point star (as appear on the city's coat of arms) were to be found on both the seals of King Richard and William de Longchamps it is commonly thought that this may have been the source of them, although there is no known documentary evidence for this.

King Richard later went on to build a number of houses and a hall in Portsmouth.^[3] The hall is thought to have been at the current location of the Clarence Barracks (the area was previously known as Kingshall Green).

In 1200 King John issued another charter to Portsmouth reaffirming the rights and privileges awarded by King Richard.^[3] Acquiring this second charter cost Portsmouth ten marks and a type of riding horse known as a Palfrey.^[3] King John's desire to invade Normandy resulted in the establishment of Portsmouth as a permanent naval base.^[4]

In 1212 William of Wrotham (Archdeacon of Taunton, Keeper of the King's Ships) started constructing the first docks of Portsmouth. At about the same time Pierre des Roches, Bishop of Winchester, founded Domus Dei (Hospital of St Nicholas) which performed its duties as an almshouse and hospice until 1540 when like other religious buildings it was seized by King Henry VIII.

During the 13th century, Portsmouth was commonly used by King Henry III and Edward I as a base for attacks against France.

In 1265, the city was on the receiving end of a serious raid by the Barons of the Cinque Ports.^[5] After scattering the defenders, they seized various ships and cargo and burned the town.^[5]

By the 14th century, commercial interests had grown considerably, despite rivalry with the dockyard of nearby Southampton. Common imports included wool, grain, wheat, woad, wax and iron, however the port's largest trade was in wine from Bayonne and Bordeaux.

14th century[]

In 1313, the town received a charter from Edward II.^[6] This is the oldest of the city's charters that is known to have survived^[6]

In 1338, a French fleet led by Nicholas Béhuchet arrived at Portsmouth docks flying English flags before anyone realised that they were a hostile force. The French burned down most of the buildings in the town; only the local church and Domus Dei survived. The population was subjected to rape and slaughter. As a result of this, King Edward III gave the remaining townsfolk exemption from national taxes so that they could afford to rebuild the town.

Only ten years after this devastation, the town for the first time was struck by the plague known as the Black Death. In order to prevent the regrowth of Portsmouth as a threat, the French again sacked the city in 1369, 1377 and 1380.

15th century[]

In 1418, King Henry V ordered a wooden Round Tower be built at the mouth of the harbour, which was completed in 1426.

In 1450, Adam Moleyns Bishop of Chichester was murdered while in Portsmouth.^[7]

Tudor period[]

Portsmouth in the early Tudor period

Through the Tudor period, Portsmouth's fortification's were subject to almost continuous reworking. Under King Henry VIII the Round Tower was rebuilt out of stone and a Square Tower was raised. It was at this time that and Sir Reginald Bray, with the support of the king, commenced the building in Portsmouth of the country's first dry dock. In 1527 with some of the money obtained from the dissolution of the monasteries Henry VIII built the fort which became known as Southsea Castle. In 1545, he saw his vice-flagship Mary Rose founder off Southsea Castle, with a loss of about 500 lives, while going into action against the French fleet. It was during the Tudor period that the town gained its first military governor.^[8] The role of managing military operations in Portsmouth had previously been the duty of the constable of Portchester Castle.^[8]

In 1563, the city was struck by a plague that killed around 300 people.^[9]

It was also in the Tudor period that two mills were built at the end of the creek just above the town.^[10] The creek later developed into the body of water known as the mill pond.^[10]

Stuart period[]

During the English civil war, the city was initially held by the royalist faction before falling to parliament after the Siege of Portsmouth in September 1642.^[11]

In 1665, Charles II of England ordered Bernard de Gomme to begin the reconstruction of Portsmouth's fortifications a process which was to take many years.^[12]

Portsmouth's overland links to London started to be improved with an early turnpike trust being set up to improve the road where it passed Butser Hill.^[13]

In 1714, the crown purchased the two mills at the entrance to the millpond.^[10]

18th century[]

The First Fleet memorial in Portsmouth.

The first local newspaper in the city was the . First published in 1745 it continued to publish until around 1790.^[14] There was then a 3-year gap before foundation of .^[14] The final newspaper to begin publication in the 18th century was the which was first published in 1799.^[14]

In 1774, the two mills at the entrance to the millpond were rebuilt as one mill known as the Kings's mill.^[10]

On 13 May 1787 the First Fleet of ships left Portsmouth Harbour bound for Australia, taking the first British settlers there. They would arrive in Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. A memorial, officially unveiled by HM The Queen on 11 July 1980, commemorates the First Fleet, with a similar memorial in Sydney, New South Wales.^[15]

Modern[]

HMS Warrior

19th century[]

Naval[]

Admiral Nelson left Portsmouth for the final time in 1805 to command the fleet that would defeat the larger Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar.^[16] The Royal Navy's reliance on Portsmouth led to the city becoming the most fortified in Europe, with a network of forts circling the city.^{[citation needed]}

From 1808, the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron, who were tasked to stop the slave trade, operated out of Portsmouth.

The King's mill burned down in 1868 and over the next decade land was reclaimed from the millpond until it ceased to exist.^[10]

Transport[]

New transport links were constructed during this century. In 1823, the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal, along with the Wey and Arun Canal, provided an inland waterway route to London.^[17] This did not last long, with parts of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal being closed after just 4 years.^[17] Portsmouth gained its first railway link in 1847, with a direct route to London arriving in 1859.^[13]

Media[]

In 1802, The Portsmouth Gazette and Weekly Advertiser was purchased by the Portsmouth Telegraph and ceased publication.^[14] The Portsmouth Telegraph then went through 3 rapid name changes, before settling on the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle.^[18] In 1850, the (often known simply as the Portsmouth Times) began publication.^[14][19] The began publication in 1877 and came under common ownership with the Hampshire Telegraph in 1883.^[14] In 1884, the Portsmouth Times gained a sister paper called the Evening Mail, which was later renamed the .^[14]

Education and science[]

On 21 December 1872, a major scientific expedition, the Challenger Expedition, was launched from Portsmouth.

While an extensive number of subscription libraries were formed in Portsmouth in the early part of the 19th century, Portsmouth trailed many other cities in the provision of public libraries, with the first not being opened until 1884.^[20]

20th century[]

A partial roadmap of part of Portsmouth in 1948

Gosport in 1960

The city in the form of Portsmouth Corporation Transport purchased the private horse-drawn tram lines in 1901. The Stanhope Road drill hall was opened by Lord Northbrook in March 1901.^[21]

In 1904, the boundaries of Portsmouth were extended to finally include the whole of Portsea Island. The boundaries were further extended in 1920 and 1932, taking in areas of the mainland.

In 1916, the city experienced its first aerial bombardment when a Zeppelin airship bombed it during the First World War.^[22]

Council housing was built on a large scale from the 1920s onwards, with families from inner city slums being rehoused on new estates including Paulsgrove, mostly in the north of Portsmouth.

Portsmouth was elevated from Town to City status on 21 April 1926.^[23]

As a major Naval Base and Dockyard the city was bombed extensively during the Second World War. Nazi German Luftwaffe night-time air raids began on 24 August 1940 when 1,320 high explosive bombs and 38,000 incendiary devices were dropped on the city, damaging the Guildhall, 30 churches, 8 schools, 1 hospital and over 80,000 homes. 930 people were killed and 1,216 people were injured. The extensive bombing of housing in Portsmouth resulted in even greater need for new private and council housing in the city. While most of the city has since been rebuilt, to this day developers still occasionally find unexploded bombs.

Southsea beach and Portsmouth Harbour were military embarkation points for the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944. Southwick House, just to the north of Portsmouth, had been chosen as the headquarters for the Supreme Allied Commander, US General Dwight D. Eisenhower, during D-Day.

On 4 July 1968, an estimated 250,000 people witnessed the return of Alec Rose, a greengrocer in Osborne Road, after he completed his single-handed circumnavigation in Lively Lady; he was immediately knighted and made a Freeman of the city. 400 motor-boats, yachts, catamarans and canoes welcomed him into harbour.

The University of Portsmouth gained university status in 1992, having held polytechnic status since 1969.

21st century[]

In 2003 erection was started of a 552 feet high Spinnaker Tower sited at Portsmouth Harbour, and celebrating the city's maritime tradition. Completed in 2005, the tower has twin concrete legs meeting at half height to form a single column from which steel sails are mounted; an observation deck at the top provides a view of the city and harbour for tourists.

In late 2004, the Tricorn Centre, dubbed "The ugliest building in the UK" was finally demolished after years of delay and wrangling over the cost of doing so, and controversy as to whether it was worth preserving as an example of 1960s Brutalist architecture.^[24]

In 2005, Portsmouth was a focus for Sea Britain, a series of events to mark the 200th anniversary (bicentenary) of Lord Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. In particular, in June, there was the massive Fleet Review, by HM Queen Elizabeth II and a mock battle (son et lumière) that evening, after dark.

Portsmouth Harbour, taken from Gosport showing Portsdown Hill in the centre and the city of Portsmouth on the right including the home of the Royal Navy, HMNB Portsmouth.

Chronology[]

The full timeline to Portsmouth's rich maritime history.

Pre-18th century[]

Medieval Portsmouth[]

• 1181 - Establishment of a chapel by Southwick Priory on the site of the current Portsmouth Cathedral.
• 1194 - 2 May: Portsmouth awarded its Royal Charter (town status).
• 1212
  • Establishment of docks.
  • Domus Dei, the first hospital of the city, built.
• 1256 - Portsmouth given permission to form a local guild of merchants.
• 1265 - Town sacked and burnt during the Second Barons' War.
• 1338 - French invaders burn down most of the town.
• 1348 - The Black Death strikes Portsmouth for the first time.
• 1426 - The Round Tower, which is Portsmouth's first permanent defensive works, is completed.
• 1449 - Portsmouth placed under Greater Excommunication as a result of the murder of Adam Moleyns, Bishop of Chichester.

Tudors[]

• 1495 - Britain's first dry dock built at Portsmouth.
• 1510 - The Mary Rose is built in Portsmouth dockyard by King Henry VIII, who then sees her sink in The Solent from Southsea Castle in 1545.
• 1543 - Southsea Castle built.
• 1544 - The Keep is built alongside the Hot Walls as part of Portsmouth's coastal defence.
• 1561 - Britain's first state lottery funds further fortifications.
• 1563 - 300 locals die of the plague.
• 1590 - The first buildings in the area known as Portsmouth Point, or Spice Island as some people call it, are built.
• 1625 - The Plague strikes Portsmouth.
• 1653 - Portsmouth, New Hampshire is incorporated.
• Late 17th century - The Hot Walls are built as a line of defense, and then they're reconstructed between 1847 and 1850 using Flemish bond brickwork.

18th to 19th centuries[]

• 1729 - Establishment of the Royal Naval Academy.
• 1732 - Establishment of Portsmouth Grammar School.
• 1747 - Fort Cumberland built in Eastney.
• 1753 - Portsmouth, Virginia is founded.
• 1760 - The modern Landport Gate built.
• 1787 - Departure of the First Fleet of ships from Portsmouth bound for Australia.
• 1805 - Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson sails from Portsmouth for the Battle of Trafalgar on HMS Victory, where he dies in battle.
• 1806 - Birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel in Portsmouth.
• 1809 - Development of Southsea begins.
• 1811 - Introduction of piped water into Portsmouth.
• 1812 - Birth of Charles Dickens in Landport.
• 1823 - Portsmouth and Arundel Canal completed, but then it closes in 1827 after being used for only 4 years.
• 1831? - Southsea Common is laid out.
• 1834 - Portsmouth hit by earthquake.
• 1835 - The Municipal Reform Act of 1835 abolishes Southampton's jurisdiction of the port.
• 1847 - Railway opens to Portsmouth station, which changed its name to Portsmouth & Southsea in 1925.
• 1854 - The 2nd HMS Illustrious ship to bear the name docks in Portsmouth to be used as a Navy training ship, where she remains until she's scrapped in 1868.
• 1861 - Clarence Pier built.
• 1867: A viaduct is built across to Whale Island, which is the start of the construction of HMNB Portsmouth. Various buildings and artillery are added throughout the years until it's completed in 1898.
• 1872 - Challenger Expedition launched from Portsmouth.
• 1876
  • 26 April: The shore establishment HMS Vernon opens for the Royal Navy as a Torpedo Branch.
  • Portsmouth Harbour railway station opens for rail services from London Waterloo.
• 1878 - Spitbank Fort and St Helens Fort are open as forts for the Royal Navy, and they remain operational until 1956. Spitbank became a museum in 1982 and a hotel in 2012, and St Helens remains in use as a navigational lighthouse.
• 1879
  • 26 July: Southsea Pier opens, with its most recent renovations being completed in November 2019.
  • Opening of the Borough Asylum (St James' Hospital).
• 1880 - Horse Sand Fort and No Man's Fort open as forts for the Royal Navy, and it remains operational until 1956. No Man's was converted into a hotel, and although Horse Sand was used in several TV shows in the years following, it remains empty as of 2021.
• 1882 - The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John the Evangelist dedicated.
• 1883 - The Gosport Ferry starts operating passenger services between Portsmouth Harbour railway station and Gosport.
• 1886 - Southsea Lifeboat Station opens.
• 1887 - Arthur Conan Doyle writes A Study In Scarlet, in which Sherlock Holmes makes his first appearance, at 1 Bush Villas, Elm Grove, Southsea where he is practicing as a doctor.
• 1890 - Portsmouth Town Hall built.
• 1898 - Portsmouth F.C., the city's principal football club, is founded.

20th century[]

• 1901 - The Portsmouth Corporation Transport takes over the horse tram system, which they electrify shortly after.
• 1911 - The National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Royal Naval Museum opens, which later merge and is renamed Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
• 1912:
  • 12 March: Former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan is born at 38 Funtington Road in Copnor.
  • The RMS Titanic passes Portsmouth on her maiden and final voyage to New York City.
• 1918 - Southsea Lifeboat Station closes.
• 1922 - HMS Victory permanently dry docked in Portsmouth Dockyard.
• 1924 - 15 October: The Portsmouth Naval Memorial is unveiled by Albert, Duke of York (Later George VI) to commemorate the 24,591 seamen who lost their lives during the 1st World War. This was extended to commemorate the seamen who lost their lives during the 2nd World War, which was unveiled by the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, on 29 April 1953.
• 1925:
  • Peter Sellers born in Castle Road, Southsea, Portsmouth.
  • The orchestral overture Portsmouth Point by William Walton is composed, with its first performance taking place in June 1926 as a piano duo. The full orchestral score is then published in 1928.
• 1926 - 21 April: Portsmouth is elevated to city status.
• 1927 - The Anglican parish church of St Thomas of Canterbury is elevated to the status of Portsmouth Cathedral.
• 1929 - Portsmouth F.C. play their first FA Cup Final but lose 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers.
• 1932 - Portsmouth Airport opens.
• 1934 - Trolleybuses in Portsmouth first operate.
• 1936 - Portsmouth Corporation Transport runs last trams.
• 1939 - Portsmouth F.C. win FA Cup for the first time.
• 1941 - Large areas of the city destroyed in air raids, which results in the deaths of 930 people.
• 1944 - Southsea Beach and Portsmouth Harbour used as embarkation points for the D-Day landings invasion force.
• 1949 - Portsmouth F.C. are crowned Champions of England for the 1st time, and then for the 2nd time in 1950.
• 1950 - Portsmouth is twinned with Duisburg in Germany.
• 1960 - Portsmouth City Council buy Southsea Castle, and they then renovate it to its pre-1850 appearance to open it as a tourist attraction. As of 2011–12, it received over 90,000 visitors.
• 1963 - Trolleybuses in Portsmouth last run.
• 1965:
  • May: Portsmouth Lifeboat Station opens on Eastney Head, with a new lifeboat station being built in 1975 and renovations taking place in 1991.
  • Hovertravel starts operating a hovercraft service between Southsea and Ryde, making it the longest running and only passenger hovercraft service in the world. It's remained the only passenger hovercraft operator since Hoverspeed replaced their hovercraft with catamarans in 2000 and ceased operations in 2005.
• 1966
  • The Tricorn Centre opens.
  • HMS Andromeda is the last warship to be launched from Portsmouth Royal Dockyard.
• 1968 - Alec Rose completes his single-handed circumnavigation of the globe in Portsmouth Harbour after starting in 1964.
• 1971 - Portsmouth Airport closes after a series of accidents.
• 1972 - Wightlink starts operating a ferry service between Portsmouth and Fishbourne under British Rail's Sealink brand, with the current name being introduced in 1990, and passenger services to Ryde pier head started as early as 1825.
• 1974 - Portsmouth becomes a local government district within the county of Hampshire.
• 1976
  • The M275 motorway linking southern Portsmouth with the M27 and A27 opens.
  • Portsmouth International Port opens for ferry services to France, Spain and the Channel Isles as well as for Cruise and Freight/Cargo services.
• 1982
  • 20 June: The Invincible class ship HMS Illustrious (R06), which was the 5th warship and 2nd aircraft carrier to bear the name, was commissioned in Portsmouth by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.
  • 11 October: The hull of the Mary Rose is raised from The Solent and moved to a permanent dry dock in the Historic Dockyard.
• 1987
  • 5 June: Portsmouth is twinned with Caen in France.
  • 12 June: HMS Warrior arrives in Portsmouth after an 8-year restoration project in Hartlepool, and she opens as a museum ship on 27 July.
• 1988
  • Portsmouth Corporation Transport is privatised.
  • July: The Pyramids Centre opens in Southsea.
• 1991 - The nave of the Anglican Portsmouth Cathedral is completed.
• 1992 - The University of Portsmouth gains university status.
• 1994
  • 2 May: Portsmouth celebrates its 800th anniversary by holding a pageant on Castle Field.
  • Portsmouth is used as the start and end point for a stage of the Tour de France.
  • The brownfield site around Camber Docks in Old Portsmouth is built up as a new housing estate, which is completed in 1996, and the surrounding parts of Old Portsmouth are developed in the following years.
• 1996 - 1 April: HMS Vernon closes when the various areas forming the establishment are split up and moved to different commands within the Royal Navy.
• 1997 - 1 April: The City of Portsmouth becomes a unitary authority.
• 1998 - Portsmouth hosts the second International Festivals of the Sea.
• 1999 - Football manager Milan Mandarić saves Portsmouth F.C. from administration.

21st century[]

• 2000
  • January: The Millennium Walk opens from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to Clarence Pier via Gunwharf Quays and the Hot Walls to celebrate the new millennium.
  • 3 December: The SR.N4 Hovercraft Princess Anne passes Portsmouth on its way to the Hovercraft Museum in nearby Lee on Solent. Her sister craft, the Princess Margaret, passes a few days later.
  • Portsmouth suffers flooding due to failure of the emergency water drainage system during heavy rainfall.
• 2001
  • MyTV (later renamed PortsmouthTV) launched.
  • Gunwharf Quays opens on the site of the former HMS Vernon.
  • Portsmouth hosts the third International Festival of the Sea.
• 2003
  • The Spinnaker Tower construction begins.
  • Portsmouth F.C. enters the Premier League for the first time.
• 2004 - The Tricorn Centre is demolished, with the last shops being closed in 2002.
• 2005
  • Portsmouth hosts the International Fleet Review and fifth International Festival of the Sea.
  • 18 October: The Spinnaker Tower opens.
• 2006 - The launch of HMS Clyde marks the return of shipbuilding to the city.
• 2008 - Portsmouth F.C. win the FA Cup for the second time, but they then enter administration in 2010 due to mounting debts.
• 2011 - The census taken this year shows that Portsmouth's population density is 11 times greater than that of London's, making it the most densely populated city in the UK.
• 2014 - 28 August: HMS Illustrious (R06), which is the 5th ship and 2nd aircraft carrier to bear the name, is decommissioned in Portsmouth, where she spends the rest of her retirement. Then in 2016, she gets towed away to Turkey where she's scrapped.
• 2015
  • June: The Land Rover BAR building is completed in Old Portsmouth after Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie established his team Ineos Team UK in 2014 and base themselves in Portsmouth.
  • July: The Spinnaker Tower is first sponsored by Emirates and is renamed the Emirates Spinnaker Tower, but they cause an outrage after they announce that the tower was going to be painted red. It was instead painted blue on the base and gold on the main structure.
• 2016 - Portsmouth's Hot Walls are converted into artist's studios and a cafe after having been abandoned and left empty for a few decades.
• 2017
  • 22 February: A World War 2 bomb containing 131kg of 'high explosives' is found in Portsmouth harbour during its dredging work, and it's then towed out to sea to be detonated in the Solent.
  • 7 December: HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is the first of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, is commissioned in Portsmouth after being sponsored by HM Queen Elizabeth II. Being 280m long, she's the largest ship to enter Portsmouth harbour.
• 2018 - Portsmouth's Wightlink terminal undergoes a major upgrade in preparation for the arrival of its newest ship, Victoria of Wight, which started service between Portsmouth and Fishbourne on 26 August of that year.
• 2019
  • 5-9 June: Portsmouth celebrates the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings with celebrations in Southsea Common and a flyover featuring heritage aircraft, Royal Navy helicopters, RAF aircraft and the Red Arrows.
  • 10 December: HMS Prince of Wales, which is the sister ship of HMS Queen Elizabeth and the second of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, is commissioned in Portsmouth after being sponsored by The Duchess of Cornwall. Being 280m long, she's the largest ship to enter Portsmouth harbour alongside her sister ship.
  • Plans are announced to expand Portsmouth International Port so it can accommodate larger ferries and a larger number of cruise ships.
• 2020
  • 23 March: Portsmouth goes into lockdown with the rest of the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allows the sea to become crystal clear for the first time in many decades.
  • 24 August: The D-Day landing craft LCT 7074, which is the last of its kind in existence, arrives in Southsea after being brought by the D-Day museum to add to its collection.
  • 7 September: The construction of the Southsea Coast Defense Scheme, which is to redevelop a 2.8 mile (4.5km) stretch of coastline, begins. Upon completion in 2026, it'll be the largest ever coastal defence project to be led by a local authority in the UK.
  • 23 November: Portsmouth City Council announces that the Spinnaker Tower will return to its original white colour in the spring and summer of 2021 after the original sponsorship by Emirates ended on 30 June 2020.
  • 20 December: Portsmouth moves to Tier 4 restrictions after being in Tier 3 since 2 December.
• 2021
  • 4 January: The Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that Portsmouth, along with the rest of the UK, will go into another nationwide lockdown to control the new variants of COVID-19 from 6 January, which will last at least until the Spring.
  • 22 February: Boris Johnson announces plans to bring the UK, including Portsmouth, out of lockdown, with restrictions being fully lifted by 21 June.
  • 30 March: The repainting of the Spinnaker Tower into its original white begins, which is completed on 20 July.
  • 14 June: Plans to end COVID-19 restrictions are delayed by 4 weeks to 19 July due to a sharp rise of the Delta variant.
  • 22 June: Scarlet Lady, which is owned by Virgin Voyages, makes her maiden sailing into Portsmouth, making her the largest cruise ship to enter Portsmouth Harbour. She then makes her maiden voyage on 6 August for round the UK cruises over a 6 week period.
  • 19 July: COVID-19 restrictions in England, including Portsmouth, come to an end after Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirms this on 12 July.
  • 3 September: The cruise ship Scarlet Lady leaves Portsmouth for the last time on her way to New York City.

References[]

Further reading[]

Published in the 19th century

• John Britton; Edward Wedlake Brayley (1805), "Portsmouth and Portsea", Beauties of England and Wales, 6, London: Vernor & Hood, hdl:2027/yale.39002040781875
• "Portsmouth", Black's Picturesque Tourist and Road-book of England and Wales (3rd ed.), Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1853
• George S. Measom (1853), "Portsmouth", Official Illustrated Guide to the Brighton and South Coast Railways, London: H.G. Collins
• "Portsmouth", Great Britain (4th ed.), Leipsic: Karl Baedeker, 1897, OCLC 6430424

Published in the 20th century

• "Portsmouth", The Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.), New York: Encyclopædia Britannica, 1910, OCLC 14782424

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to History of Portsmouth.

• Timeline (PDF)
• https://web.archive.org/web/20070514223729/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stephen.pomeroy/local/local.htm
• http://www.littlewoodham.org.uk/research/index.htm
• https://web.archive.org/web/20070819160244/http://www.portsmouth.history.cwc.net/
• https://web.archive.org/web/20061027231413/http://www.envf.port.ac.uk/geo/research/portsmouth/
• http://www.palmerstonforts.org.uk/

Museums[]

• http://www.maryrose.org/
• https://web.archive.org/web/20070404013716/http://www.flagship.org.uk/
• http://www.portsmouthnaturalhistory.co.uk/
• http://www.portsmouthcitymuseums.co.uk/
• http://www.southseacastle.co.uk/
• http://www.charlesdickensbirthplace.co.uk/
• http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/