Gosport Top Visitor Attractions Ranked and Reviewed

Overview of Gosport

Gosport is a Hampshire harbour town facing Portsmouth across the narrow harbour entrance, its naval heritage creating one of England's most fascinating concentrations of military museums. The Royal Navy Submarine Museum and the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower together offer a remarkable and moving experience of Royal Navy history at its most dramatic.

Top Attractions and Things to Do

• Royal Navy Submarine Museum: An outstanding museum including the ability to board HMS Alliance — a real Cold War submarine — and the very first Royal Navy submarine, Holland 1, recovered from the seabed.
• Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower: A world-class museum of naval armaments and technology at Priddy's Hard, housed in a magnificent Georgian gunpowder storage complex.
• Gosport Ferry: The short ferry crossing to Portsmouth provides access to the Historic Dockyard, HMS Victory, and the Mary Rose Museum — just 5 minutes on the water.
• Fort Brockhurst: An intact Victorian fort (English Heritage) with a moat, bastion, and fascinating interior open for guided tours.
• Stokes Bay Beach: A long shingle and sand beach on the Solent with spectacular views to the Isle of Wight.

Getting There

Gosport has no railway station — take the ferry from Portsmouth Harbour station or drive via the A32. Regular ferry services from Portsmouth run throughout the day.

Best Time to Visit

Year-round — the museums are outstanding in any weather. Summer for Stokes Bay. The ferry runs year-round.

Local Hidden Gems

Walk the Millennium Promenade from Gosport ferry to Stokes Bay — a remarkable 4-mile waterfront path with extraordinary views of Portsmouth Harbour, the Solent and the Isle of Wight.

Visitor Tips

Buy combined tickets for the Submarine Museum and Explosion Museum — both require a full half-day each. Book ahead in summer. The ferry to Portsmouth is frequent and cheap.