I started this A3Traveller blog with a post on Charles Dickens for we share a common birthdate, so it seemed somewhat appropriate, especially given he is a local lad made good. It’s wonderful to hear therefore that a statue to this literary master will be unveiled in the city of his birth at Portsmouth’s Guildhall Square…
Category: UK
Singular Statues: #7 King William III
I am just a little shocked at the excess shown by this double gilded gold-leafed vision of King William III, which stands at the eastern end of The Porter’s Garden of Portsmouth Dockyard, just inside the main entrance. You will be unsurprised to hear that it was sculpted “in the manner of the Caesars” by the…
Goodwood House – one of West Sussex’s gems
If you have visited Glorious Goodwood, Goodwood Revival or the Festival of Speed, have you ever wondered what lies behind the front door of Goodwood House? Well, it might be worth making a date for your diary for the annual house tour season starts 16th March – 13th October this year. The house itself started…
West Wittering – one of the world’s great beaches
Why of why did I wait so long to visit the Witterings in West Sussex? I discovered them when looking for places to walk my dog – not the normal way you discover a beautiful beach I must admit but I am so very glad I went there in the end. I swear that The…
Singular Statues: #6 Captain Robert Falcon Scott
This statue of Captain Robert Falcon Scott commemorating his ill-fated second expedition to the South Pole, stands at the western end of The Porter’s Garden of Portsmouth Dockyard, just inside the main entrance. Sculpted by his widow, Lady Kathleen in 1915, the Grade II listed bronze statue of Captain Scott with one of his faithful…
Singular Statues: #5 Sound II
The fifth in the series of Singular Statues is by the artist, Antony Gormley, who is said to have donated this work – Sound II – to Winchester Cathedral. Located in the crypt, it is best viewed when the area is flooded (the cathedral is very close to the water table), where you see this…
Pawprint Series: Portsmouth to Arundel Canal
Having a dog is a great way to investigate a city you thought you knew well. Looking for new and interesting walks for The Hound has certainly lead me to discover parts of Portsmouth which I didn’t know existed. Having driven past it on the Eastern Road when travelling into Portsmouth, I decided to park…
Singular Statues: #4 HMS Trafalgar Figurehead
I discovered this magnificent carved and decorated figurehead featuring Admiral Lord Nelson lying quite close to HMS Victory, his famous ship, in Portsmouth Dockyard one fine day. As you can see, the right eye remains unpainted as he famously lost his sight in this eye in the siege of Calvi in 1794. Research relates that…
The Hindhead Tunnel – Genius Engineering
If, like me, you have driven back and forth to London from Portsmouth on the A3 prior to 2011, you will have realised the pure joy of bypassing The Devil’s Punchbowl and the mind-numbing traffic queues at Hindhead crossroads. The 29th July 2011 could not have come quickly enough for me and I even visited…
Pawprint Series: Hindhead Commons, Surrey
It’s a particular pleasure for me to return to Hindhead at least once a season. For years, I suffered in wearisome traffic jams on the A3 motorway at Hindhead’s crossroads – a notorious traffic congestion spot now thankfully bypassed by the Hindhead Tunnel. So I love the fact that the region has returned to an…
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