Skip to main content

Winter short breaks, explore the cultural heart of the waterfront city of Portsmouth

The historic city of Portsmouth has plenty to offer visitors for a special winter short break. Stroll the Historic Dockyards which will be transformed into a snowy Victorian street market for the annual festive event. Soak up the city’s cultural atmosphere beginning with a visit to the birthplace of Charles Dickens, the great 19th century writer and the city’s most famous son. The City Museum is home to the largest collection of items in the world relating to Conan Doyle and his famous detective.

Stay in one of the city’s many boutique hotels such as the Mercer Collection of seven unique properties in Southsea - relax with a cosy spa treatment, and indulge in delicious food and wine from all regions in the many varied pubs offering local ales and top class restaurants such as No27 and Montparnasse, or the quirkier Pie & Vinyl. No Man’s Fort in the Solent offers a completely different experience in one of three fortifications built during the Napoleonic Wars and now offering luxury accommodation. For those who prefer to stay on dry land the Emirates Spinnaker Tower at Gunwharf Quays offers stunning views across the Solent.

A Study in Sherlock collection boasts items dating from Doyle’s time to the present day and features a special narrative from Stephen Fry, its patron. Conan Doyle settled in Portsmouth at the age of 23.



By this time he was a qualified doctor with just £10 to his name and with this he set up a practice. While building his practice he spent time writing and the rest as they say ‘is history’. The City Museum houses what is recognised as the largest collection in the world pertaining to Doyle and his famous detective. FREE admission. Winter opening times October - March (10.00am - 5.00pm). www.portsmouthcitymuseums.co.uk

Travel back in time to a bygone era, where snowy Dickensian streets welcome you to a world of festive cheer. Victorian Festival of Christmas (1 to 3 December, 10am - 6pm) features over 150 sellers offering unique gifts and produce, plenty of merrymaking at Fagin’s Real Ale Tavern, as well as more Victorian characters and entertainment including the Edelweiss Bavarian Oompah Band, Old Sea Dogs and Shep Woolley & the Ansome Sea Buoys. The festival’s traditional Father Christmas dressed in green, accompanied by his reindeer, will be stopping by. Capture the ultimate #ElfieSelfie and head on over to Facebook and Twitter to post it to be in with a chance to win an Historic Dockyards All Attraction ticket for the best one. Tickets Early Bird Adult £14.50 Child £12.50. www.historicdockyard.co.uk



NEW in 2018 The D-Day Museum is due to re-open in spring 2018 after a £4m refurbishment enabled by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The transformation will create spaces for learning, events and displays using the words and perspectives of the people who took part both military and the French civilians, and the museum’s iconic collection. At the heart of the museum will be The Overlord Embroidery, inspired by the Bayeaux Tapestry. Re-opening dates to be announced. www.ddaymuseum.co.uk

Women and the Royal Navy: Pioneers to Professionals explores the impact of women’s involvement from the seventeenth century onwards, during both World Wars, the Cold War to integration and beyond, to today’s serving personnel. The National Museum of the Royal Navy (runs until 18 February). Exhibition entry FREE with a valid ticket to Historic Dockyards. Online tickets from All Attraction Adult £28, £12 Child (5 – 15 years). www.historicdockyard.co.uk.

Portsmouth, the great waterfront city, has miles of sea views and centuries of maritime history. The renowned dockyard is also home to the multi-award winning Mary Rose Museum where you can see artefacts that lay on the sea bed for more than 437 years. Opening times November to March 10am-5pm (last entry 4:15pm). Online tickets from All Attraction Adult £28, £12 Child (5 – 15 years). wwwmaryrose.org.uk




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Delicious thinly sliced pork in Korean marinade

Sometimes you found a recipe and wrote it down on a piece of paper to try it out. Having done that, you forget where the recipe came from. Likewise this Korean recipe for pork, which turned out to be so delicious we have cooked it for everyone. The marinade is simple to make and yet really packed with flavours. For the Korean marinade you need  3 garlic cloves 1/2 brown onion 1/2 a pear or apple Blitz these ingredients together and then add 5 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Kikkoman) 3 tablespoons caster sugar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 3 tablespoons mirin black pepper For dinner for 2 people, 200g pork tenderloin is enough. Slice this thinly, and bash it to an even thinner piece with a meat mallet. Marinade in the sauce and leave it in the fridge for an hour. Then heat a frying pan on medium heat with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and fry the thin pork pieces until browned. You want some of the edges of the meat to be dark brown and caramelised, if you can. Don't cook too many pieces or

Explore the rich musical tradition of the Royal Navy at a special two-day event at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Whether you love sea shanties full of salty metaphors and swashbuckling action, or the stirring sound of a military band with brass and drums, there will be music across Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in a new event on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th June 2023, which is completely free with a valid ticket to the given attractions. The rich history of music in the Royal Navy is being explored at a brand new two-day event, featuring a wide range of musical performances and styles, from The Royal Marines School of Music to Tudor Opera singing with Jay Britton. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard comes alive with music, beginning on Friday 23rd June, with a special Solent Shanty singing event in collaboration with the Portsmouth Music Hub. This special collaboration has allowed the museum to host a special performance of sea shanties by over 700 children in the shadow of the legendary HMS Victory. This new event continues on Saturday 24th June, featuring performances across Portsmouth Historic Docky

‘Southsea dinosaur’ returns

Luna Park 2021, an eagerly anticipated new public artwork for Portsmouth designed by internationally renowned artists Ivan Morison and Heather Peak of Studio Morison will be launched on 2 October 2021 on a celebratory day in Southsea Common.  The 1.4 metres bronze sculpture is a tribute to the original 53-foot high 2010 artwork Luna Park, which tragically burned down on Southsea Common. The artists will unveil a new sculpture that responds to ten years of public demand to ‘bring back the Southsea Dinosaur’.  The new public artwork will be located within a direct sightline to the position of the original Luna Park sculpture. It will sit on top of a fossil Portland stone plinth with a QR code which when scanned with a smartphone will connect to an Augmented Reality experience. People will be transported to a digital rendering of the original artwork, seemingly standing life-size in front of them on Southsea Common. Viewers will also be able to use their mobile devices to visit a digital