South Hampshire

Towns & Villages

GOSPORT

Whether it's a day trip, short break or week-end stopover, there's so much to enjoy and keep you busy in Gosport.





Explore the fascinating history and heritage of our museums or our extensive Waterfront.

Gosport -
Photo: Brendan & Ruth McCartney CCL

View from Fort Gilkicker - Photo: Chris Gunns CCL

A wonderful location is one of Gosport's main strengths.

 

Its beautiful south facing beaches look out towards the Isle of Wight and the Solent.

Explosion! The Museum of Naval Firepower is a hands on, interactive museum set in the historic setting of Gosport's former gunpowder and munitions depot.





Open at weekends 10am-4pm, it tells the story of naval warfare from the days gunpowder to modern missiles.





Dive into the past and the future at The Royal Navy Submarine Museum, where you can take a guided tour of World War II submarine HMS Alliance, led by a submariner, or climb on board Holland I - the Navy's first submarine from 1901.

HMS Alliance - Photo: Vic Richards CCL

Gosport Ferry - Photo: Colin Smith CCL

Come and visit Gosport's only working brewery, Oakleaf Brewing Company.


The family run brewery produces a range of mouth-watering cask and bottle conditioned ales.


Each award winning beer has a distinct flavour of its own, so everyone is sure to find an ale to suit their taste.


Tours must be pre-booked and beer is available to buy from the shop.


Or take a leisurely sight-seeing cruise with the Gosport Ferry.


Operating a range of cruises, May to September, taking in such scenic and beautiful locations as the Hamble, Beaulieu Rivers or Portsmouth Harbour, with superb views of the ships in dock and a stunning view of the Spinnaker Tower, it's the perfect way to spend the day.

HAYLING ISLAND

Hayling Island is vital to the Borough as a tourist resort.

This charming peaceful island with its European Blue Flag beaches and a country village atmosphere is largely responsible for more than £50 million in tourism income to the Borough over the course of a good summer.

Hayling Beach - Photo: Ray Stanton CCL

Chichester Harbour - Photo: Steve Rigg CCL

The island covers only ten square miles and is accessible from the mainland by a road bridge.

Halfway along its four-mile length it is almost cut in two at the point where Mill Rythe, a narrow inlet, comes in on the east side from Chichester Harbour.

At this point the island is only half a mile across.

Almost all the population of the island live south of this narrow 'waist'.

North of this line the villages of Stoke and Northney are the only settlements of any size.

Stoke is a small village on the main road with a small group of shops at the point where the road from Northney joins the main route.

With its many thatched cottages and meandering country lanes, Northney is a place of considerable charm.

The southern part of Hayling is the part of the island best known by holidaymakers, and is a combination of town and country with the settlements of West Town, Gable Head and Eastoke spreading to meet each other but with fields, farms, woods and the sea all within easy reach.

Eastoke Beach - Photo: Ray Stanton CCL

Beach Fishing - Photo: Colin Smith CCL

Its main attraction for visitors is of course its wonderful coastline, over four miles of it.

Part of the beach, at West Beachlands, now boasts two European Blue Flags, the Tidy Britain Group's Premier Resort Seaside Award and the Solent Water Quality Award in recognition of its high standards of beach and foreshore management and good water quality.

Beachlands itself is over 100 acres of land between Sea Front [road] and the shore.

Its grassy dunes, gorse, wild flowers and bird life provide delightful picnic spots, and its unspoilt nature is what sets it aside from many other, larger, resorts.

Sailing and boardsailing are two activities for which the island is internationally renowned, conditions being perfect for both sports.

In 1996 the historic oyster beds on the north west coast of Hayling Island were restored by the Borough Council, creating a wildlife haven which has become an important seabird breeding site.


 

The Design Council awarded this project 'Millennium Product' status for the renovation.

Hayling Oysterbeds -
Photo: Hugh Venables CCL

East Hayling Light Railway -
Photo: Ray Stanton CCL

A recent addition to the attractions on Hayling sea front is the East Hayling Light Railway, a narrow gauge train opened in the summer of 2003 running from Beachlands funfair to Eastoke Corner which in its first season of operation had attracted over 20,000 passengers.




An intermediate station is provided at Seagrove Avenue called 'Hornby Halt'.

Hayling's essentially modern appearance hides a more complex history reaching back beyond Saxon and Roman times.

The name is Saxon in origin, meaning the Island of Hegel's People, but when the Saxons first occupied the area there was already a Roman building in North Hayling.

By the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, most of the island had been settled.

There were four manors and a population as large as that found in the three mainland parishes of Bedhampton, Havant and Warblington put together.

West Town - Hayling Island -
Photo: Ray Stanton CCL

St. Peter's Church - Photo: Anthony Brunning CCL

The largest manor was in South Hayling and had been given by William the Conqueror to the monks of the Abbey of Jumieges in Normandy.

In the 15th century the lands of the Priory, which had been farmed by the King for some time, were given to the Charterhouse by Henry V.

They later came into the possession of the Dukes of Norfolk.

In North Hayling, St Peter's Church, built in 1140, is the loveliest building on the island.

It is a fine example of a typical English village church of the Norman period.

Its foundations are said to be large 'erratic' stones left as the ice receded in the post-glacial period.

The peal of three bells is said to be the oldest in England, the tenor bell having been dated by the Whitechapel Foundry as from about 1350.

One of the trees surrounding the church is a yew tree, which is at least 800 years old.

However the yew tree in the grounds of St Mary's Church in the parish church of South Hayling exceeds this.

It is said to be almost 1000 years old and has a girth of nine metres. Hayling is a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre.

Windsurfing was invented on the island. Originally it was thought to be an American invention, but after a court battle the title was given to Hayling Island.

The island features several churches, the most notable of which is St Mary's Church in Gable Head.

The church is a standard design of the churches of its era, but upon close examination the walls have been constructed from a mortar of local shells and beach pebbles.

The churchyard features a yew tree that is believed to be over 800 years old.

The grave of Scotsman George Sandeman, the founder of Sandeman Port is prominently featured in the north-east part of the graveyard.

St. Mary's Church -
Photo: Anthony Brunning CCL

PORTSMOUTH

Warships in Portsmouth - Photo: Basher Eyre CCL

Portsmouth has a maritime history that goes back to the heady days of crusading Richard the Lionheart and his brother, King John.






It was the latter who created a naval base that is still headquarters of the modern Royal Navy.

It boasts the world's oldest dry dock still in use and plays host to famous ships such as Nelson’s HMS Victory, the 16th century Mary Rose - found on the seabed in the 1970s – and the pioneering HMS Warrior, the world’s first armoured warship made from wrought iron and powered by both sail and steam.






The Spinnaker Tower is a recent addition to the city's skyline.






It can be found in the recently redeveloped area known as Gunwharf Quays.

The Spinnaker Tower -
Photo: Hugh Chevallier CCL

SOUTHAMPTON

Southampton Docks - Photo: Simon Barnes CCL

Southampton is a bustling, modern city with a thrilling history and a number of ancient buildings that escaped bomb damage in World War 11.

Parts of the city walls have also survived along with several old city gates.

The natural harbour has a double tide which makes it suitable for large ships.

Today it plays host to great passenger liners but it was from here that the Titanic sailed in 1912.

More than 5000 city residents perished when the ship sank.

Earlier, the Pilgrim Fathers set out for America in the Mayflower in 1620 and English armies left here for the Battles of Crecy and Agincourt.

In 1016 the Viking King Canute commanded the sea to retreat at Southampton.

The city has a number of museums.

The Museum of Archaeology, which is housed in God’s House Tower, has a collection of artefacts which tell the story of Southampton from the Stone Age to the present day.






The Solent Sky Museum has a large display of aircraft and aims to educate the visitor on the rich history of aviation in the Solent area.






Located a short drive to the north of the city is the Intech Science Centre, an Interactive science and technology centre for the whole family.

Medieval Merchant's House -
Photo: Tim Knight CCL

Bargate - Photo: Michael Grant CCL

The West Quay Shopping Centre is one of the largest shopping centres in the UK and hosts a number of major shopping brands.


The Fourteenth and Fifteenth century towers have been restored, and God’s House Tower is now home to a museum of local archaeology.


Several city gates can still be seen, Bargate, built by the Normans is a fine example.


St. Michael’s Church the oldest in the city, dates back to Norman times, it contains a rare font of black marble imported from Tourni.


The nearby Tudor House (now a museum) is a magnificent example of 16th century architecture, with a banqueting hall and reconstructed Tudor garden.

The Civic Centre with its distinctive clock tower, is home to the excellent City Arts Gallery.



The Hall of Aviation tells the story of the Spitfire, designed by the local aviation pioneer R.J. Mitchell.



With such a rich history there is an abundance of things to see and do in and around the city.



There are a number of historic buildings.



These include the City Wall built in 1338, St. Michaels Church built in 1070, God’s House Tower built 1417 and the 12th century Red Lion Pub where the Southampton plotters were tried and sentenced to death.



Southampton is located on the door step of the New Forest.



This is a large national park of about 570 km2.



Southampton offers the best shopping on the South Coast; you can browse small specialist shops, search out the ‘high street’ names or explore the three major shopping malls – WestQuay, Marlands and the Bargate centres.

Clock Tower - Photo: Colin Smith CCL

SOUTHSEA

Southsea Castle - Photo: Margaret Sutton CCL

The Victorian seafront at Southsea has a funfair and swimming complex, and the large open green spaces are perfect for lazy picnics, gentle strolls and kite flying.

The underground passages at Southsea Castle are well worth exploring, or discover local and tropical marine life at the Blue Reef Aquarium, a great day out whatever the weather.