Round Tower, Portsmouth

The Round Tower is a fortification at the entrance to Portsmouth harbour. The site was originally occupied by a wooden tower before being replaced by a stone one. The wooden tower was built between 1418 and 1426 on the orders of King Henry V. In 1422 a chain that could be raised in an emergency was built from the round tower across the harbour entrance.In the 1490s the tower was rebuilt in stone. In the 1680s a line of ramparts was added that connected the tower to the square tower. The upper section was later rebuilt during the Napoleonic wars. Portsmouth city council purchased the tower in 1958.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Barry Shimmon.

Sight description based on Wikipedia.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Portsmouth. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Round Tower
Sight Location: Portsmouth, England (See walking tours in Portsmouth)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in Portsmouth, England

Create Your Own Walk in Portsmouth

Creating your own self-guided walk in Portsmouth is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Historical Dockyard Tour

The naval theme has always been dominant for Portsmouth. Most of the city's historic events are in one way or another associated with its seaside location. Portsmouth's Historical Dockyard is the area that offers a glimpse into the city's maritime past.

The very first notable landmark here is Victory Gate, the dockyard's main entrance. Inside, visitors will find HMS... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.4 Km or 0.2 Miles

Famous English Writers Walking Tour

Jane Austen was born in 1775 in Steventon, North Hampshire. In her day, Portsmouth was a rough-edged seaport filled with people she considered "underbred." Nevertheless, she often traveled to Portsmouth to visit her brothers Francis and Charles, stationed there with the Royal Navy. Austen included Royal Naval characters in her novels, Persuasion and Mansfield Park.

Charles Dickens was... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles

Portsmouth Introduction Walking Tour

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle claims a warrior named Port and his two sons killed a noble Briton in Portsmouth in 501 AD. Winston Churchill, in his "A History of the English-Speaking Peoples," wrote that Port was a pirate who founded Portsmouth in the same year.

King AEthelwulf sent a force to drive off Viking raiders in Portsmouth in the 9th century. The Danes loved Portsmouth, but they... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles