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PORTSMOUTH - ENGLAND
Portsmouth is a city of about 186,000 located in the county of Hampshire on
the southern coast of England. A significant naval port for centuries,
previously the world's largest naval base and home to many famous ships,
Portsmouth has declined in recent years but remains a major dockyard and
base for the Royal Navy. Its telephone area code is 023 92, and was
previously 01705, and before that 0705. Geography
Most of the city lies on Portsea Island, located at the confluence of the
Solent and the English Channel. The island is separated from the mainland to
the north by a narrow creek, bridged in three places to make it (in
appearance) a peninsula. The sheltered Portsmouth Harbour lies to the west
of the island and the large tidal bay of Langstone Harbour is to the east.
Portsdown Hill dominates the skyline to the north and to the south are the
waters of the Solent with the Isle of Wight beyond.
Name
The origin of the name Portsmouth is a matter of some dispute, popular
legend holds that it comes from being the "mouth of the port" (the port
originally being that at Portchester, previously known as Portus Adurni).
The other main suggestion is that the name came from a chieftain with the
name Port (not an uncommon old English name) with the Saxon word mutha.
History
Early history of the area
Although there have been settlements in the area since before Roman times,
mostly being offshoots of Portchester, Portsmouth is commonly regarded as
having been founded in 1180 by John of Gisors (Jean de Gisors). Most early
records of Portsmouth are thought to have been destroyed by French invaders
following the Norman Conquest. The earliest detailed references to
Portsmouth can be found in the Southwick Cartularies.
In the Domesday survey there is no mention of Portsmouth. However
settlements that later went on to form part of Portsmouth, primarily
Buckland (later Portsea), Copnor and Froddington (later Fratton) were listed.
At this time it is estimated the Portsmouth area had a population not
greater than two or three hundred.
While in the primary manor of Portsea there was a small church prior to 1166
(now St Mary's at Kingston) Portsmouth's first real church came into being
in 1181 when John of Gisors granted an acre of land to Augustinian monks at
the Southwick Priory to build a chapel dedicated to Thomas a Becket. This
chapel continued to be run by the monks of Southwick Priory until the
Reformation after which its possession was transferred to Winchester College.
The modern Portsmouth Cathedral is built on the original location of the
chapel.
Growth of the city
In 1194, after King Richard I (the Lionheart) returned from being kidnapped
by Duke Leopold V of Austria, Richard set about summoning a fleet and an
army to Portsmouth, which Richard had taken over from John of Gisors. On May
2, 1194 King Richard I gave Portsmouth its first Royal Charter granting
permission for the city to hold a fifteen day annual fair (which became
known as the Free Market Fair), weekly markets (on Thursdays), to set up a
local court to deal with minor matters, and exemption from paying the annual
tax ("farm") of £18 a year--instead the money would be used for local
matters. The actual physical charter was handed over by the Bishop of Ely
William de Longchamps. The present location of the charter is currently
unknown but its text survives, as when later royal charters were granted to
the city reaffirming and extending its privileges large parts of the
original charter were quoted verbatim.
As a crescent and an eight-point star (as appear on the city coat of arms)
were to be found on both the seals of King Richard and William de Longchamps
it is commonly thought that this may have been the source of them, although
there is no known documentary evidence for this.
King Richard later went on to build a number of houses and a hall in
Portsmouth, the hall is thought to have been at the current location of the
Clarence Barracks (the area was previously known as Kingshall Green).
In 1200 King John issued another charter to Portsmouth reaffirming the
rights and privileges awarded by King Richard. King John's desire to invade
Normandy resulted in the establishment of Portsmouth as a permanent naval
base.
In 1212 William of Wrotham (Archdeacon of Taunton, Keeper of the King's
Ships) started constructing the first docks of Portsmouth. At about the same
time Pierre des Roches (Bishop of Winchester) founded Domus Dei (Hospital of
St Nicholas) which performed its duties as an almshouse and hospice until
1540 when like other religious buildings it was seized by King Henry VIII).
During the thirteenth century Portsmouth was commonly used by King Henry III
and Edward I as a base for attacks against France.
By the fourteenth century commercial interests had grown considerably,
despite rivalry with the dockyard of nearby Southampton. Common imports
included wool, grain, wheat, woad, wax and iron, however the ports largest
trade was in wine from Bayonne and Bordeaux.
War with France
In 1338 a French fleet led by Nicholas Behuchet arrived at Portsmouth docks
flying English flags before anyone realised that they were a hostile force.
The French burnt down most of the buildings in the town and many of the
population were raped and slaughtered, only the local church and Domus Dei
survived. As a result of this King Edward III gave the remaining townsfolk
exemption from national taxes so that they could afford to rebuild the town.
Only ten years after this devastation the town for the first time was struck
by the plague known as the Black Death. In order to prevent the regrowth of
Portsmouth as a threat the French again sacked the city in 1369, 1377 and
1380.
King Henry V was the first king to decide to build permanent fortification
in Portsmouth. In 1418 he ordered a wooden Round Tower be built at the mouth
of the harbour, which was completed in 1426. However it wasn't until the
Tudor dynasty that Portsmouth's defence was seriously dealt with. Under King
Henry VIII the Round Tower was rebuilt out of stone and a Square Tower was
raised. It was at this time that Robert Brygandine and Sir Reginald Bray,
with the support of the king, commenced the building in Portsmouth of the
country's first dry dock. In 1527 with some of the money obtained from the
dissolution of the monasteries Henry VIII built the fort which became known
as Southsea Castle.
Over the years Portsmouth's fortification was increased by numerous monarchs
including King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth I, although most of these have
now fallen into disrepair or been converted into tourist attractions.
Recent history
On December 21, 1872 the Challenger expedition was launched from Portsmouth.
The city was bombed extensively during WW2, while most of the city has since
been rebuilt developers still occasionally find unexploded bombs.
In 2003, erection was started of a 165 metre high Spinnaker Tower sited at
Portsmouth Harbour, and celebrating the city's maritime tradition. The tower
has twin concrete legs meeting at half height to form a single column from
which steel sails will be mounted. An observation deck at the top will
provide a view of the city and harbour for tourists.
Chronology
1181 - Establishment of a church.
1194 - Portsmouth awarded its Royal Charter
1212 - Establishment of docks.
1212 - Domus Dei the first hospital of the city buit.
1256 - Portsmouth given permission to form a local guild of merchants.
1265 - Town sacked and burnt during the Barons' Wars.
1338 - French invaders burn down most of town.
1348 - Black Death strikes Portsmouth for the first time.
1426 - Portsmouth's first permanent defensive works (the Round Tower)
completed.
1449 - Portsmouth placed under Greater Excommunication as a result of the
murder of Adam Moleyns the Bishop of Chichester.
1495 - Britain's first dry dock built at Portsmouth.
1510 - Mary Rose built in Portsmouth dock yard.
1527 - Southsea castle built.
1561 - Britain's first state lottery funds further fortifications.
1563 - 300 locals die of the plague.
1625 - The Black Death strikes Portsmouth.
1729 - Establishment of the Royal Naval Academy.
1732 - Establishment of Portsmouth Grammar School.
1760 - The modern Landport Gate built.
1809 - The town of Southsea established.
1811 - Introduction of piped water into Portsmouth.
1812 - Birth of Charles Dickens in Portsmouth.
1834 - Portsmouth hit by Earthquake.
1835 - The Municipal Reform Act of 1835 abolishes Southampton jurisdiction
of the port.
1861 - Clarence Pier built
1872 - Challenger expedition launched from Portsmouth
1890 - Portsmouth Town Hall built.
1898 - Portsmouth F.C., the city's principal football club was founded.
1931 - The population of Portsmouth peaks at quarter of a million people.
1932 - Portsmouth Airport opens.
1971 - Portsmouth Airport closes after a series of accidents.
1994 - Portsmouth was the start and end point for a stage of the Tour de
France.
2000 - Portsmouth suffers flooding due to failure of the emergency water
drainage system during heavy rainfall.
2001 - MyTV (later renamed PortsmouthTV) launches.
Government
The city is administered by the Portsmouth City Council, which is currently
a unitary authority. Until April 1, 1997 it was a district of Hampshire. The
legally defined borders of Hampshire, as used for local government purposes,
were adjusted in 1997 by the "Hampshire (Cities of Portsmouth and
Southampton) (Structural Change) Order 1995". However, for most purposes,
such as postal addresses, the city is generally still regarded as being part
of Hampshire.
Tourist Attractions
Most of Portsmouth's tourist attractions are related to its naval history,
among these are the D-Day museum (which holds the Overlord embroidery), HMS
Victory which has been restored in the Dockyard, the remains of the Mary
Rose raised from the sea-bed in recent years and the HMS Warrior.
Other tourist attractions include the birthplace of Charles Dickens,
Cumberland House a natural history museum, the Spinnaker Tower and Southsea
castle.
Shopping
In the last decade the number of shops in Portsmouth have grown dramatically
due to both the growth of the local economy and improved transport links.
Shopping areas in the city include:
Ocean Retail Park an out of town shopping area mainly composed of shops
requiring large floor space for selling consumer goods (furniture,
electrical goods, computers).
Cascades Shopping Centre an indoor
shopping centre built in the early nineties with approximately 75 shops
covering a wide range of goods.
Commercial Road running alongside the Cascades shopping centre this area
contains appproximately a further 50 shops, located near Portsmouth &
Southsea train station.
Gunwharf Quays a new shopping area which
opened in 2002 in consists of 85 mainly upmarket fashion stores, restuarants
and a Vue multi-screen cinema, located near
Portsmouth Harbour train station and the Hard Bus Interchange, and a
relatively short walk from Commercial Road.
Bridge Centre a 11,043 square metre shopping centre built in 1988, now
dominated by the newly built Asda Walmart store.
Tricorn centre a "futuristic" shopping centre of 35 shops built out of
concrete in the 1960s now commonly regarded as an eyesore. It is currently
unused and is being demolished.
Other shopping areas with more than twenty shops include Palmerston Road,
Elm Grove and Albert Road.
Education
The city has one university, the University of Portsmouth, but several local
colleges also have the power to award HNDs.
Local further education colleges include Highbury College which specializes
in practical teaching, Portsmouth College, South Downs College and Havant
College which all offer a mixture of academic and pracical courses.
Local secondary schools include The City of Portsmouth Girls School, Priory
School, St Luke's School, Mayfield School, Portsmouth Grammar School,
Admiral Lord Nelson School and Milton Cross School, the last two both being
developed in the last five years in order to meet the demand of a growing
young population.
Famous residents
Admiral George Anson
Sir Francis Austen (Brother of Jane Austen)
Henry Ayres (former premier of Australia)
Walter Besant
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
James Callaghan (former British prime minister)
Jeremiah Chubb
Charles Dickens
Arthur Conan Doyle
Helen Duncan (last woman charged with witchcraft in the UK)
Rudyard Kipling
Christopher Hitchens was born in Portsmouth
Peter Sellers was born in Portsmouth
Joe Jackson
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