Portsmouth in Hampshire, now a city, was founded in 1180 by Jean De Gisors, a merchant and landowner. He owned land on Portsea Island and found an inlet on the island which he believed was ideal for docking ships. He divided land around the port into plots, built housing, started the market, and by 1194 Portsmouth was given a market charter.Early in the 13th Century Portsmouth had a population of around 1 200 and was considered to be a very important port. Merchants exported wool, grain, wine, woad, wax and iron, from this port.Portsmouth evolved into a thriving community, was home to a hospital (Domus Dei), a leper hostel on the outskirts, and was burned down in ongoing skirmishes between the British and the French in 1338, 1369, 1377 and 1380.After the last attack, the town was fortified, the Round Tower built and equipped with cannons. Then in 1522, a gigantic chain was stretched across the harbour mouth to protect it from enemies. This would be lowered to allow friendly ships in by means of a winch housed in the round tower.A dockyard was built in 1495 by Henry VII and this changed the destiny of the town. Four breweries were built in 1512 by Henry VIII and the dockyard was enlarged. He also built Southsea Castle, closed the monasteries, and watched his famous warship, the Mary Rose sink in the Solent.Plagues came and went, and as more harbours were opened along the Thames, Portsmouth declined in importance. Civil war came and went, and ships were once again being built after a 100 year hiatus. The dockyard expanded through the 17th And 18th century and a naval academy opened in 1733; by 1871 the population of this town had expanded immensely.Today, Portsmouth is home to a population of 190 000 people, this has been up and down since 1900. Main industries have changed from brewing, ship building and corset making to electronics and tourism, and having the Mary Rose raised from the seabed helped.This was done in 1982 after 400 years of being under the waters of the Solent and it is now a museum. In 1987 Britain’s first iron warship, HMS Warrior, was moved to Portsmouth, so if you enjoy floating history, these are two sights which cannot be missed.Besides these two must-sees there is plenty to do in this city. It is modern, exciting and offers a variety of entertainment. A striking difference between old and new is clearly visible, and popular attractions include, museums, the Blue Reef Aquarium, Pyramids Centre, funfairs, playgrounds, the beautiful sea-front and many more.
To find a hotel in Portsmouth just click here.
