old portsmouth

Hampshire Architecture – Portsmouth: High Street, Penny Street, Peacock Lane, Grand Parade

Posted on by Duncan Toms

Here we have the central area of Old Portsmouth. High street runs from just inside the now flattened defensive town walls, down to the coast near to the Square Tower, where it meets Broad Street and Grand Parade, just past the cathedral. At the north eastern end are the former Cambridge Barracks, now the Portsmouth Grammar School. In between are many C18 and C19 town houses, pubs and a former bank. Grand Parade is next to the Royal Garrison Church, and Penny Street runs parallel with the High Street, with a few surviving pre-war buildings. The narrow Peacock lane joins the two streets. Pembroke Road joins Old Portsmouth to Southsea, where along with Landport, gentrified properties overspilled when the old town got too crowded. The Cathedral was started in the C13 and underwent many additions over the centuries, including a large extension to the south west in the 1990s. To the north is Landport Gate, redesigned in 1760 and remaining in its original location but without the earth banks of the walls either side. Here are all the listed buildings of this area and a couple of street views:

A map of Portsmouth in 1762, showing the defensive walls and extent of the old town:

Portsmouth Map C18 1762

Hampshire Architecture – Portsmouth: Lombard Street, St Thomas Street, Broad Street, Bath Square

Posted on by Duncan Toms

This area of Old Portsmouth feels very nautical, with narrow town houses, usually three story, squeezed in to form non-uniform terraces, many with those characteristic maritime bays on the first floor. Lombard Street and St Thomas Street are just east of The Camber harbour, with The Point being on the west side: Broad Street and Bath Square leading towards the narrow entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. All of this area was within the old walled city. Apart from the town houses, one can find fortifications, an old savings bank, historic inns, a former bathing house (Quebec House), the Popinjays warehouse, the sailing club and an old customs watch house with an observation hut. Most of the buildings are C18, with some C17 and C19. The landmark former Seagull Restaurant is from the early C20.

Lombard Street:Lombard St Portsmouth

The listed buildings of Lombard Street and St Thomas Street, Old Portsmouth:

Broad Street Portsmouth:

Broad St Portsmouth

The listed buildings of The Point / Spice Island, Old Portsmouth:

Bath Square, Old Portsmouth:

Bath Square Portsmouth

Old Portsmouth and Gunwharf

Posted on by Duncan Toms

Photographs taken around Gunwharf and Old Portsmouth in October. While certain others are shopping I like to wander around the city in the immediate area of Gunwharf. Inside Gunwharf itself are many original dock buildings dating back to the c18. Past the harbour in Old Portsmouth and Spice Island you can still get a feel of the old maritime city in the time of Nelson, with many interesting Georgian buildings, doorways as well as the defences and churches. See also, Portsea