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Original poster

Days out if I like Portsmouth historic dockyards and Harry Potter

18 replies

userhjf67 · 30/08/2022 14:10

I'm looking for a day out or possibly overnight away for daughters 8th birthday

Have thought about weekend in Portsmouth visiting the historic dockyards and aquarium but worried that wouldn't be enough to fill a weekend

Also looked at Harry Potter studios but can't get any tickets
Many suggestions of great days out for her age/weekend away, or even a theme park ? We are based in Berkshire

OP posts:

Surtsey · 30/08/2022 14:12

Warwick Castle?

loopylindi · 30/08/2022 14:14

The Mary Rose exhibition is in Portsmouth and is fascinating and can take as long as you want (I think. It's a while since we went). A trip up the Spinnaker tower is a must as well. Then, as you said there's the dockyards with (is it?) the Victory. Have a lovely day.

ErrolTheDragon · 30/08/2022 14:18

Have thought about weekend in Portsmouth visiting the historic dockyards and aquarium but worried that wouldn't be enough to fill a weekend

I'd have thought that would be enough, there's more than a days worth at the dockyard iirc.

30not13 · 30/08/2022 14:26

There's oodles to do in Portsmouth. I've still not done everything at the dockside despite having been 3x

Original poster

userhjf67 · 30/08/2022 14:29

Ahhh that's good to know I was worried it wouldn't fill a day, looks like you can also get a seabus over to gosport as part of it.

Spinnaker tower looks good snd also a aquarium

OP posts:

RockaLock · 30/08/2022 14:31

We had a weekend in Portsmouth last summer and we definitely had enough to do. We really enjoyed it.

As PPs have said, there is loads to do at the dockyards, and the Mary Rose is amazing.

Add in the Spinnaker and a wander around the quayside shops and that seemed like plenty.

There's also Portchester Castle nearby if you felt like you were struggling, though.

NoodleSnow · 30/08/2022 14:31

There’s enough in Portsmouth to fill several holidays. It’s a brilliant place to go with kids. The dockyard museums have days worth of stuff, especially if you take the boat over to the other sites. Spinnaker Tower is great too, and really near the dockyard and to Gunwharf Quays for shops/restaurants with nice boaty views.
There’s also a couple of piers and beaches, the aquarium, Southsea Castle, natural history museum with butterfly house, D Day museum, pedal boats on Canoe Lake, a model village, hovercraft trip to Isle of Wight.
We must have stayed there over a month in total over the years and there’s still a lot we haven’t got around to seeing yet. It’s such an underrated holiday destination and I can’t really understand why.

fuckboris · 30/08/2022 14:33

The aquarium is not great; very tired and small.

The dockyard is great, expensive but worth the cost and you can drag it out all day.

Spinnaker tower is a good shout if the weather is clear

Talipesmum · 30/08/2022 14:36

Fishbourne roman palace is nearby to Portsmouth if you wanted a change on one of the days, but i absolutely agree there’s plenty to do at the dockyards- and it’s quite expensive too but much better value if you’re there for more than one day.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 30/08/2022 14:39

We went to Portsmouth at the start of July. We could easily have filled another day or two because my navy mad 7 year old absolutely loved it. I think we only managed half the stuff on offer and basically rushed around HMS Victory because it was the last thing thing we did. Had to promise that we'll go back. The Mary Rose experience is amazing.

On a different day we visited Portchester castle which was interesting and had a lovely lunch in the little cafe attached to the church next to it.

PuttingDownRoots · 30/08/2022 14:42

Theres the Explosions museum in Gosport. My DD really wants to go there...

We stayed at a Premier Inn in Gosport, there was an ice skating rink next to it.

The beach is quite nice as well... stones rather than sand though.

(Our visits have only been brief to visit DH)

PollyEsther · 30/08/2022 15:04

We are local, friends work at the dockyard, and we still haven't managed to do it all! You have lots of fantastic suggestions here, but Gosport is gross so don't stay that side, stay this side! Plenty of hotels: premier inn, travelodge, village hotel in Cosham is nice. If you get bored of central Portsmouth, Whitelely is a lovely shopping centre, we go out of our way to shop there rather than closer places!

The dockyard is definitely several days worth of entertainment. Agree that Mary Rose is incredible. Also worth a trip up to Winchester Science Centre, which has recently been refurbished and is incredible. Would also recommend the Weald and Downland Museum, Butser Ancient Farm, Fishbourne, Hayling Island for the beach, if not Southsea is good old fashioned seaside fun too. The aquarium is a bit run down and shit these days, but agree that the butterfly/natural history museum is a proper hidden gem! We love it there.

The Isle of Wight is also great, but needs at least a week on its own to be honest. We did a Mon-Fri over there this summer and barely scratched the surface of what we wanted to do.

frugalkitty · 30/08/2022 15:06

If you go Portsmouth way get a ferry over to the submarine museum in Gosport, that's the best place we ever took our kids to. It's fascinating, and I never thought in a million years I'd set foot in a submarine, but it was well worth it.

Icedlatteplease · 30/08/2022 15:08

We took 2 days on the historic dockyard (including explosions museum, boat tour etc) and still didnt get it all done.

Other places to consider are Dover Castle and Tower of London.

Ineedtoletgo83 · 30/08/2022 15:12

So much to do in Portsmouth! You’ll deffo fill the weekend doing the Dockyards/historic area. Spinnaker and then shopping!

mast0650 · 30/08/2022 15:16

I think you could easily fill a weekend in Portsmouth doing the historic boats, Spinnaker and other things people have mentioned. Don't stay in Gosport though. It's a bit grim (I spent my teens there). Southsea much nicer.

Bristol used to be really good: SS Brunel is really interesting. Sadly I think WetheCurious is closed and Bristol Zoo is also closing...

York is brilliant, but maybe slightly far? We've done it from Berkshire for a few days at half term.

Or go to London?

Oxford and do Harry Potter tour? Natural History and Pitt Rivers? Story Museum? Or is that too close to home?

Or one of our favourite short trips was to Ironbridge Gorge and all the museums there

BrownTableMat · 30/08/2022 15:24

Maybe not for this time, but Gloucester Cathedral is fab and its cloisters were Hogwarts in several of the films

DontMakeMeShushYou · 30/08/2022 15:36

More than enough for a weekend in Portsmouth. There are three ships to explore at the Historic Dockyard, as well as a couple of Museums and, separately, the Mary Rose. There is also the Submarine museum and submarine over in Gosport as part of the ticket which means a boat ride across the harbour and back, plus there's a separate boat ride around the harbour.

Plus the Spinnaker Tower, D-Day Museum, aquarium, Southsea castle ...

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