Portsmouth Harbor

I'd been wanting to take the train down to Portsmouth Harbor for day trip for a long while. So one day when the weather got up into the 80's, we headed off to Waterloo Station, and caught the train.





The puppies came with us, as we thought it would be a great chance for them to get out and walk around and tire themselves out. They are remarkably good on trains, and just settle in at our feet and go to sleep.



We walked along the sea enjoying the beautiful weather and the lovely community. Modern Portsmouth reminds me a lot of Marina Del Rey with its modern apartment complexes and enjoyable seaside ambiance. The weather was absolutely stunning with a clear blue sky and warm temperatures.





Portsmouth has been the seat of the British Navy throughout History. And to this day, the British Navy calls this home.










There are some great stone battlements that can be found along the sea wall, and we enjoyed walking along them.



The walls go back to the days of Admiral Nelson and even earlier, and helped to secure entrance to the port. There had even been a chain that could be drawn up to prevent entrance by ships.





The pups were fascinated by the lightly rippling ocean water. They would attack and retreat as the water moved. It was very cute to watch them try to understand it in their own way. They'd been to the ocean once before, but that was many, many years ago in California.



Portsmouth was bombed horribly in World War II, and the remains of an abandoned church bare testament to the many attacks that it enured.

One cannot think of the British Navy without thinking of Admiral Nelson, who lost his arm in the service of the empire, and yet remained in active duty for another 7 years.



We ran into my coworker Graham Hudson (I often kid him that he's some long lost relative) and his wife when we stopped at a sunny fish and chips shop to grab some lunch. It was fun to meet up with them there. Strange coincidence but really fun. The pups loved the fish and chips too.



There are some historic ships docked at Portsmouth Harbor. Unfortunately, we discovered that the pups would not be allowed access to even the dockside area. Tony decided to head home with the dogs, so that I could explore the ships. Bummer.

The first ship I visited was the Warrior. It is the first all iron steamer built in the mid 1800's. It represented the latest in naval technology at that time.


It was deemed so powerful, that no one ever dared to challenge it to a fight, so it served as a deterrent to war throughout its career until it became obsolete. I guess the "Deterrent through Strength" was a slogan then too.








It has been wonderfully restored to its original glory, and it is worth exploring above and below deck. A truly beautiful ship.



Admiral Nelson's ship, The Victory, upon which he served and ultimately died, is also on display. It is honorably still listed as "in-service" of the Royal Navy to this day. It is impressive to see the size of it, as it is much larger than I had imagined.




It is remarkably well preserved both inside and out, and worthy of good exploration. It is great to see the care that has been taken in its maintenance. It is amazing how low the ceilings are the further below deck one goes.



Admiral Nelson's office served as a portable embassy and is extravagantly appointed. I must have been impressive as a foreign dignitary to meet with him here. However, even here, the table and chairs could be quickly dismantled so that the area could be used for battle.



There is a plaque on deck marking the spot where Admiral Nelson was shot, and a painting below deck showing where he ultimately expired. It is moving to see where a man who dedicated so much of his life to the British Empire served and died.

After visiting both ships, it was time to hop on the train back to London, where Tony had made it back to our little apartment.

Portsmouth is a great day trip from London filled with fun places to walk around and fascinating historical ships to explore.