Visit Gosport, and you can find out what lurks beneath the waves at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum. Step into the secret world of the submariner on-board a genuine Royal Navy submarine and discover what it was like to live and work inside such a submarine for weeks at a time. The guides there are former submariners and they all have some great stories to tell!
You can learn all about the diverse and fascinating weapons used by the Royal Navy at Explosion! - Museum of Naval Firepower. This award-winning museum contains weapons used by the Navy throughout the centuries, which are housed in the impressive 18th century buildings.
Both the Submarine Museum and Explosion are part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, so you can get a combined ticket if you wish.
The Museum of Diving was voted one of the top six family-friendly museums in the UK. Its fascinating exhibits cover all aspects of diving, and there is plenty of curious diving equipment on display, including some used by James Bond!
You can find more James Bond equipment at the Hovercraft Museum. It has the hovercraft that Bond made his escape on in the film “Die Another Day”. The Museum has the world’s largest collection of hovercraft anywhere in the world.
Moving away from the maritime theme, step back in time to the 17th Century with a wander through the ‘Little Woodham’ living history village. Here you can meet and talk with the ‘villagers’ dressed in period costumes as they demonstrate the historic skills of the blacksmith, potter, lace-makers and weavers.
Gosport is ideal for sailing or water sports too. Whether you are already a keen sailor or you want to learn, boat/yacht hire, sailing tuition, fishing trips, wind-surfing, kite-surfing, kayaking, paddle-boarding and jet-skiing are all available, so there is something for all ages and abilities to enjoy.
There are also summer cruises around the Solent from June to September. These leisurely boat cruises are a great way to relax whilst enjoying the sights of Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent.