Amazing Facts You Did Not Know About Portsmouth, England

Portsmouth, located on Portsea Island, is the only island city on the south coast of England. Majorly known as a dock city, the city unfolds many other interesting facts.

The city existed on the oldest map of Britain, the Gough Map, dating back to 1360. The map had 600 towns and cities marked. This city was marked by a red brick building on the map and named ‘Portis Mouth’.

Wymering Manor is the oldest recorded building in the city. It was first mentioned in 1042 and later in the Domesday Book in 1086.

The Portsmouth Harbor is country’s biggest fruit handling port. It processes 100% of the UK’s Moroccan citrus fruits and UK’s Jersey potatoes.

It also processes 70% of the UK’s bananas.

The IBM site at North Harbour was considered as the largest office building in the UK between 1967 and 1982.

The oak from almost 6,000 trees from Poland and East Prussia, was used for the construction of HMS Victory, the world’s oldest naval ship still in commission. The wood is two feet thick and very useful at the waterline.

The Portsmouth ball-valve is the most used type in toilet cisterns.

Portsmouth’s motto, ‘Heaven’s Light Our Guide’, was registered in 1929. It was actually the motto of the Star of India ship.

Ayer’s Rock (now known as Uluru), a huge sandstone rock in Australia, was named after Sir Henry Ayers. He was born in Portsea in 1821 and was the Chief Secretary of South Australia at that time.

In 2003, Tate Art Gallery experts found out that the two Turner paintings were actually of Portsmouth, not Venice.

Pompey, the city’s nickname, is thought to have come from the log entry ‘Pom. P. (Portsmouth Point), made during ships entering the harbor.

Several US cities and towns also go by the same name. There is Portsmouth in New Hampshire, Michigan, Portland, Ohio, and others.

Portsmouth is the only city that has a higher population density than that of London, in the United Kingdom. The city has 5,100 people living in every square kilometer.

The iconic Spinnaker Tower boasts of the largest glass floor in Europe. It weighs more than 33,000 tonnes.