Local heritage news, stories and insights will be featured here. Please check back regularly for new items.


Col. Bogey's Birthplace

Col. Bogey’s Birthplace

Col. Bogey’s Birthplace By Rear Admiral R W Paffard, CB, CBE In his book “British Golf”, Bernard Darwin says that in the 1880’s there were only forty six golf courses in England, nearly all by the seaside.  Inland golf, he tells us, was at that time considered no more than a poor substitute for the […]

The bodies of L55 victims being interned at Haslar Naval Cemetery (1928)

L55 submarine was part of the Baltic Battle Squadron engaged in operations in support of the White Russians. Whilst in action against two Bolshevik Destroyers on 4th June 1919 she was sunk by colliding with a British moored mine. Bolshevik propaganda insisted that she was sunk by one of their Destroyers but given the capabilities […]

Past & Present Fun Facts courtesy of the GOSPORT GALLERY

Last Duel in England

The Last Duel in England (between Englishmen) As part of Murder Most South, BBC South Today tells the story of the last duel between Englishmen on English soil. Thanks to the Groundlings Theatre Company for their help.

GOD’S PORT – A poem

Gods Port   Our neighbours refused, we welcomed – ale in arm, Two ships; Sihab-I Bahri and Miraty Zafar. Four hundred and sixty Ottomans, a six-and-a-half-month moor is why Gosport’s been named Turk Town since 1854.   Sea and dust combined, twenty-six sailors died, cholera and tuberculosis to mention the least. From Haslar they were […]

THE LIBERTY OF ALVERSTOKE WITH GOSPORT

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol3/pp202-208 The liberty of ALVERSTOKE, including GOSPORT, is bounded on the east by the waters of Portsmouth Harbour, and on the south by Spithead. In the south-east of the district, between the inlets called Forton Lake and Haslar Lake, stands the populous town of Gosport, from which the lines of houses extend northward along the […]

HMS Vanguard – Britain’s Last Battleship

19 years after she was first laid down in 1941, HMS Vangaurd caused a bit of chaos in Portmouth Harbour. Watch this video to discover her story…

Gosport Heritage Action Zone

Gosport Ambassadors Scheme Launch on 8th Dec 2020 Andy Grant, chair of the Gosport Place Board acted as host for this webinar with the theme of the event being; “The Use of Arts & Culture in re-inventing the Gosport High Street HAZ Area” Topics included: Gosport High Street Heritage Action Zone (GHSHAZ) – “ A […]

Photos of Fort Brockhurst by Victoria Smith

Some fantastic photos of Fort Brockhurst taken by Victoria Smith, superimposing the past onto the present.  This is what she says.. “Whilst researching the history of Fort Brockhurst I decided to produce a series of images that showed how space within the secured compound had been used by the Military before and during the First […]

Betty White’s Coat – The D-Day Museum

  In June 1944 Betty White was a young girl living at Gosport on the south coast of England. As British and other Allied troops passed by on their way to Normandy, she collected badges from them as souvenirs. The badges – nearly 100 of them – were later sewn onto her coat. This is […]

John Charles Deane story

John and Charles Deane story

Sunken Treasure, death defying adventure.  Have a look at this fantastic story of how John and Charles Deane invented modern deep-sea diving and saved the British Empire.  Written by James Nestor. Click picture for full story.    

friends gosport museum

Friends of Gosport Museum

The Gosport Museum was founded in 1975 to record all aspects of the history of Gosport from the earliest times to the present. The FRIENDS of GOSPORT MUSEUM work to: – support the work of the museum – encourage the public to learn about and enjoy the unique history of their town. Find out more […]