Portsmouth: England’s Only Island City
Portsmouth sits right on the coast, facing the Isle of Wight. Birthplace to writer Charles Dickens, the city has a strong naval base (including submarines) plus it has a commercial hovercraft service to visit the Isle of Wight.
The city skyline is marked by Spinnaker Tower, which offers sweeping views across the Solent. Unfortunately it accepts money, to light up at night for ‘celebrations’. This could cause cause bird strike, as lights should be turned off in glass buildings.
If at the coast, read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
It’s one of the few cities in England to have two cathedrals (one Catholic, one Anglican) and is the most densely populated city in England.
A short walk from Portsmouth is Southsea, a nice little seaside resort with a pier and boating lake. You can walk between the two resorts.
Southsea’s claim to fame is the local gym! In the 1960s, one member was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who visited for bodybuilding exhibitions, before he left to become a movie star and governor of California.
