Day: 23 August 2015

Southsea Castle, Portsmouth

Southsea Castle exterior Portsmouth City Council
The original castle was built in 1544 for Henry VIII, amidst fears of an invasion. It had a square keep and external angular bastions. Subsequently the keep was raised in height, and a much larger set of 19th-century fortifications was built around it, with mountings for 68-pounder guns.
A lighthouse was added to the western gun platform in 1838.
The castle saw active service in WWI and WWII and was still in military use until the 1950’s.

Today, visitors can explore the keep, ramparts and a tunnel that runs under the dry moat. There are several cannon, large and small, on display. Worth a visit.
Admission is free.
A car park (cheargeable) is nearby.
There is a cafe inside the castle.
Thumbnails:

Castle Entrance
Entrance
68lb. cannon & mounting
68lb. cannon
Keep from ramparts
Keep
Cannons on rampart
Cannons

D-Day Museum, Portsmouth

DUKW in vehicle hall The D-Day Museum is housed in a modern building near the Southsea Castle on the sea-front.
A circular hall has a modern D-Day Tapestry displayed around its circumference, and an auditorium for showing a short 15-minute film in the centre. On the other side of the museum, a winding series of galleries display materials on the build-up to D-Day and the invasion itself. A final pair of halls show vehicles used in the invasion – a glider, jeep, tank, tank landing craft and a DUKW.
It is an interesting museum and worth a visit if you are in the area or if you have a connection with the invasion.
Admission charges apply.
A car park (chargeable) is next to the museum, or you can park along the sea front (chargeable).
The Southsea Castle is about 100 yards away – in fact the D-Day Museum is within the outer defences of the castle.

Amphibious tank
Amphibious tank