In Gosport, there isn’t just this waterfront, there is a stretch to the North, just the other side of the Explosion Museum (well worth a visit) and along Stokes Bay by Alverstoke is the Golden Mile. A very pleasant and popular walk. You will find people on these walks in just about any weather.
Stokes Bay is especially interesting if like me, you enjoy watching ships. It’s the main channel in to Southampton. A variety of ships; car, cargo & crude oil carriers, dredgers, ferries, and cruise ships. Merchant and military vessels of all types including the occasional US Navy Aircraft Carrier. I really miss the cruise ships, especially the ones we have been on. They do still come in to Southampton, even in these Covid times. But they are now a forlorn sight, barren of partying passengers. I am guessing, but I think they come in to replenish supplies, because there are still crews on board, and to make sure that the engines and all systems are working correctly in preparation for when they resume their proper role.
Stokes Bay, like many places in Gosport is absolutely stuffed with History. I’m not going to go into too much detail because there are opportunities here for future posts. To give you a taster though at each end of the bay is a Palmerston Fort; Eastern End Fort Gilkicker, at the Western end are two of the batteries installed to defend the Gosport Line. The water front at Stokes bay played a major part in the preparations for, and embarkation on D-Day, and the Alverbank Hotel just off the waterfront has a famous link with the RAF. I hope to explore all of these in future posts.
Between Stokes Bay and Portsmouth Harbour, is one of my favourite ship watching spots – the Haslar Hospital Sea Wall. Many a happy hour spent here watching ships glide by.
Bills Posts 