Portsmouth
Portsmouth Portsmouth is a city in the Hampshire on the southern coast of England it has been a significant port for centuries. Portsmouth is home to the world’s oldest dry dock still in use and home to many famous ships, including HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. History The town known as Portsmouth attracted the attention of the Romans who exploited the natural shelter of the harbour by building a fort at Portchester, which later became Portchester Castle. In Norman times a wealthy merchant called Jean de Gisor was responsible for founding the town of Portsmouth in 1180. He purchased the manor of Buckland, containing Portsmouth harbour, to provide a safe base for his fleet of merchant ships as it traded with Normandy across the Channel. Henry VIII built the world’s earliest known dry dock at Portsmouth Dockyard. During this period the dockyard area saw dramatic expansion and new fortifications went up, such as the Round Tower, the Square Tower and Southsea Castle, all erected to provide protection against invasion from the Continent. Portsmouth is steeped in Naval History. What to See & Do in Portsmouth