Welcome to Portsmouth!
Portsmouth (nicknamed "Pompey") is a large city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England. Portsmouth plays a major role in British history, especially naval history. Its rich heritage offers a variety of attractions, including the Historical Dockyard, which houses some of the most historical warships in the world, HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship used at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and the Mary Rose, a Tudor-era warship. Portsmouth has two cathedrals, including the Romanesque Portsmouth Cathedral, 12 museums, most of which are free, and two theatres. The city offers excellent shopping facilities in the Gunwharf Quays complex, home to a variety of designer stores including Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, and Barbour, as well as the striking 557 ft (170 m) landmark Spinnaker Tower, which offers excellent views of the Solent and City.
Portsmouth is also known for its literary history, as the birthplace of Charles Dickens, the famous Victorian era novelist, and the pioneering engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Other famous figures to have lived here are HG Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rudyard Kipling. The city is well served by three musical venues, The Wedgewood Rooms, Guildhall, and Pyramids, which regularly host major musical and comedy acts.
Portsmouth is a port and island city with unitary authority status in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, southern England. It is the most densely populated city in the United Kingdom, with a population last recorded at 238,800. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also incorporates Southampton, Havant, Waterlooville, Eastleigh, Fareham, and Gosport. Located mainly on Portsea Island, Portsmouth is located 19 miles (31 km) southeast of Southampton and 70 miles (110 km) southwest of London.
The city's history can be traced to Roman times. A significant naval port for centuries, Portsmouth has the world's oldest dry dock and was England's first line of defense during the French invasion in 1545. Special Palmerston Forts were built in 1859 in anticipation of another invasion from continental Europe. By the early 19th century, Portsmouth was the most heavily fortified city in the world and was considered "the world's greatest naval port" at the height of the British Empire throughout Pax Britannica. The world's first mass production line was set up in the city, making it the most industrialized site in the world. During the Second World War, the city was a pivotal embarkation point for the D-Day landings and was bombed extensively in the Portsmouth Blitz, which resulted in the deaths of 930 people. In 1982, the city was the main naval base for the task force in the Falklands War. Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia left the city to oversee the transfer of Hong Kong in 1997, which marked for many the end of the empire.
Portsmouth is one of the world's best-known ports. HMNB Portsmouth is the largest dockyard for the Royal Navy and is home to two-thirds of the UK's surface fleet. The city is home to some famous ships, including HMS Warrior, the Tudor carrack Mary Rose and Horatio Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory (the world's oldest naval ship still in commission). The former HMS Vernon naval shore establishment has been redeveloped as a retail park known as Gunwharf Quays. Portsmouth is among the few British cities with two cathedrals: the Anglican Cathedral of St Thomas and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John the Evangelist. The waterfront and Portsmouth Harbour are dominated by the Spinnaker Tower, one of the United Kingdom's tallest structures at 560 feet (170 m). Nearby Southsea is a seaside resort with a pier amusement park and medieval castle.
Portsmouth F.C. is the city's professional association football club and plays its home games at Fratton Park. The city has several mainline railway stations that connect to London Waterloo among other lines in southern England. Portsmouth International Port is a commercial cruise ship and ferry port for international destinations. The port is the second busiest in the United Kingdom after Dover, handling around three million passengers a year. The city formerly had its own airport, Portsmouth Airport, until its closure in 1973. The University of Portsmouth enrolls 23,000 students and is ranked among the world's best modern universities. Portsmouth is also the birthplace of author Charles Dickens and engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.