Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a must visit for history nerds and boat lovers...not so much for…read moreeveryone else. You'll get to see amazing historic ships, going back over 500 years of of Royal Navy history. HMS Victory: The Royal Navy's flagship that led the important Battle of Trafalgar, which the French Navy was put to shame during Napoleon's destructive wars. Arguably the most famous warship in British history. It's barely holding together as much maintenance and restoration ongoing work continues, but you still can decks and learn about life onboard during the Georgian era. The Mary Rose: King Henry VIII's flagship, which sank in 1545 and was famously salvaged in 1982. The museum showcases the preserved half hull and thousands of artifacts recovered from the wreck, offering a unique glimpse into 16th-century sailor life. Be sure to watch the 4D video! HMS Warrior: was the world's first iron-hulled, armored warship, built in 1860. Its still incredibly well preserved and structurally sound...as it never saw a single battle! Still very cool seeing how modern it felt compared to the older ships. £46/$62 3 Attraction Ticket: as fun this all was, it is really expensive for what you get, so minus one for that.

Saw Spanish galleon not original but has been made as a replica but still good not quite the victoryread more

Great went up the tower with my wife for cream tea event very nice for the lady's but not really a…read moreman thing

The Spinnaker Tower is on the waterfront of Portsmouth and is essentially just an observation tower…read morewith an observation deck providing great views of the area, including the historic dockyard and ships. There is also a glass floor ("Sky Walk") in part of the floor of the lower observation deck, allowing one to see straight down. It's worth a visit, at least for those who like this sort of thing. There's a restaurant at the bottom and also a tea room on one of the observation decks in the tower, but we did not visit those. We just went to the lower observations deck and the smaller sky deck, which is open to the elements but has more limited views.

On our Road Trip through England, Wales and Scotland we focused on Castles, Abbeys and walks…read more The Titchfield Abbey we've visited on our first full day here in England. It was a hot summer day. A monday. And only really a handful people on site. Which is surprising, because these are beautiful remains of a former abbey and mansion. It's almost still fully complete even. There's no entrance fee. And even parking is free if you're a member of the EH. If not it's 2£ only. The building is very impressive. Built in the 13th Century it was first in the hand of monks. Then it changed hands under Henry VIII. And was turned into a Tudor mansion. It's quite a sight to behold. And you can walk around the whole site. But as usual: Be respectful, don't climb around and pick up your litter and after your dog (which are allowed here on the site). A very good start for this year's Road Trip. A great place to visit. And there are even one or two lunch options around, if you feel hungry after your visit.

Titchfield Abbey is a ruined former country home, which was itself adapted from an Abbey during the…read moreDissolution. The Abbey was founded in 1222 by the Premonstratensian Order of canons. It was founded as a daughter house of Halesowen Abbey, and endowed both by its founder Bishop Peter of Winchester and Henry III. Never especially wealthy, the Abbey was nevertheless noted for its scholarship and held a substantial library. The Abbey buildings followed a standard plan, albeit on a relatively modest scale. The Abbey seems to have had a quiet and ordered existence, although it's location near the south coast on one of the main routes to France meant it hosted both Richard II and Henry V, and was the location of Henry VI to Margaret of Anjou in 1445. The Abbey was dissolved in 1537, at the behest of Thomas Wriothesely, Chancellor to Henry VIII. Unlike many dissolutions, the Abbott John Salisbury secured a peaceful handover, with pensions provided for the canons and the position of Dean of Norwich for himself in 1539. Wriothesely adapted the buildings to form a n impressive country home for himself, called Place House. The Abbey church itself was converted to a grand gatehouse and accommodation wing, with a long gallery and hall formed around the former cloister. This involved taking down the church tower and chancel. The house hosted Elizabeth I, Edward VI, Charles I and Charles II. It continued in use as a home until the 1780s, when the decision was taken to abandon and deliberately demolish much of the complex to form a romantic ruin. Today it is in the care of English Heritage. The impressive turreted gatehouse forms the larger part of what is visible today, the bare structure enabling much of the former church to be traced. There are also remains of the cloister walls, with the foundations of the demolished buildings traced out on the ground. The site is also known for its collection of decorative mediaeval floor tiles. The adjacent fish ponds have survived but are no longer part of the site. Practicalities: the gravel drive is quite narrow and leads to a gravel car park. Although there is level access the rough surfaces make for challenging wheelchair access. There are no toilets on site.

This is the oldest commissioned warship in the world and has been turned into a museum. It also…read moreserves several ceremonial duties. The USA's claim of the oldest commissioned warship (USS Constitution) is qualified as the oldest commissioned warship afloat since the Victory has been in dry dock since 1922. The Royal Navy has put considerable effort into preserving her and making her accessible for tours. It is well worth the visit and includes a free audio tour recounting Admiral Horatio Nelson's crucial victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

The Victory is under years-long maintenance, but the interior is barely affected and that's the…read morehighlight. It has been incredibly restored to the condition at the time of Nelson. The included audio guide does a great job in both exploring the ship and setting the context of the Battle of Trafalgar.

The staff were very nice to us after we experienced some issues with the tickets the house was…read moregorgeous very historical and full of so much history. We had a lovely day. The grounds are beautiful and you to go and visit queen Victoria's private beach so much to do.

The house itself and the grounds were fabulous! Be sure to stop at the beach and put your toes in…read morethe water! But DO NOT eat at the terrace restaurant. The food was horrible. Unless you like stewed tomatoes, which they called curry, and a bowl of canned chickpeas in the salad! We did enjoy the tea and the view of the terrace gardens.

Now in the care of English Heritage, Netley is the most complete surviving Cistercian abbey in…read moresouthern England. Founded in 1238 by Peter de Roches, Bishop of Winchester, it was colonised by monks from nearby Beaulieu Abbey. Almost all the walls of its 13th century church still stand, together with many monastic buildings. The buildings were converted into an impressive country residence by Sir William Paulet, First Marquess of Winchester, who acquired the abbey in 1536 after the Dissolution. Abandoned as a house in the 18th Century, most traces of Paulet's alterations were removed in the 19th century, when Netley's ivy-clad ruins became a favourite of the Romantic movement. Netley was visited by John Constable, who came to paint here, and also by Jane Austen, who may have found inspiration for her novel Northanger Abbey. Access is free although opening times are restricted, especially in winter months. It's a lovely spot for a picnic and feels a long way from the surrounding urban area. There's a small car park - more parking and toilets are available over the road in the Abbey Hall Recreation Ground.

Incredible location, very fun to get to via ferry but you take the 45 minute walk…read more Used by Henry VIII, the Ministry of Defence and now taken over by English Heritage, Hurst Castle offers a varied history. The castle does a good job of showing all the changes that have happened throughout its history. From seeing several different castles open up to the public, Hurst Castle stood out. Would completely recommend the audio tour. Absolute bargain at £2 each with a offer of two audio tours for £3. All the staff were very friendly and know the Hurst ferry staff.

A brilliant day out! The amazing adventure starts by parking…read moreyour car at Keyhaven. You then discover this massive pebbles barrier protecting the marshes from the waves. From very afar you can see the round shape of Hurst Castle: it looks small from there, but don't judge it yet. Walk all the way to the castle by using the barrier and then you'll see that there is more than meets the eye. Entry is about 3 pounds for an adult, which is a true bargain for a National Trust site. There is plenty to see and do and the views are fantastice. There is also plenty of exhibitions about the Bournemouth coastline and life in the castle and its strategic position. All in all, a cheap and great day out for the whole family.

The donkeys were lovely and the museum had seating for when you get tired which was very helpful.read more

Even though my Aunt and I came here during the height of half-term, we were pleasantly surprised…read morethat we were able to have the run of Carisbrooke Castle (including the gardens and donkey wheel) without being impeded by crowds of kids run amok. It was easy to purchase tickets, although the guide at the front door was a bit overeager when it came to trying to sell us on the all-access pass to various English sites. Perhaps I had tourist stamped across my forehead, but more than likely he runs through the same spiel with everyone. The views of the surrounding countryside are excellent and it is hard to believe, until one actually sees it, how elevated one is until one is looking down. It never ceases to amaze me how much the English know about their own history and how lacking (for the most part, it is always dangerous to generalize) we Americans are about our own history, much less that of other countries. With that being said, the guides and instructional materials were excellent in providing an overview that anyone could appreciate, regardless of how much one knew going in about the time period in question. I even ended up picking up a souvenir guidebook to further my education.

Other than the castle, the village itself has a very inviting feel about it. You enter the castle…read morefrom the little square where there are a few shops and a monument in the middle. The square is very small! I don't know; I just found the place really calm and peaceful - most likely not this way during the tourist season but on a cold wet November late afternoon the atmosphere was at its best. The village isn't very big, so worth a little wander around and perhaps a stop in a pub and some of the shops.

Such a beautiful village - it hasn't changed much since I used to visit it over 40 years ago. The…read moreCastle is always worth a visit - you get in free if you're a National Trust member, and the parking at the visitor centre at the entrance to the village is also free to members. Try getting there early-morning before the crowds. Interesting little shops and the National Trust Tea Rooms does the best cream tea ever - sit in their garden overlooking the Castle. There's also a model village. The steam train runs from the Park & Ride at Norden (just before Corfe Castle village), stops at the village before chugging through the Purbecks onto Swanage. A good day's fun!