Victoria Park

About

Victoria Park is a quiet place to escape and enjoy right in the heart of Portsmouth. Its lovely scenery, children's play areas and many historic monuments are just a stone's throw from Commercial Road and mere metres from Portsmouth and Southsea railway station.

Covering 15 acres of grassed area, Victoria Park also has established flower borders and trees. In the centre of the park you'll find an aviary, with work currently ongoing to identify the birds best suited to taking up residence there. In addition to the aviary there's also a separate area where children have long enjoyed feeding rabbits and guinea pigs.

Victoria Park was actually the first public park to ever be opened in Portsmouth, having been officially opened on 25 May 1878. In the intervening years it has accrued a number of statues, memorials and installations, many of which are connected to the Royal Navy. This collection includes a Chinese bell in a miniature pagoda (raised by the crew of HMS Orlando in honour of their fallen shipmates) which was lost during the campaign to relieve Peking in 1900. The original bell was returned to China in 2005 and a replica bell now hangs in the pagoda.

An additional memorial honours the officers and men of HMS Powerful, who lost their lives in the Boer War.

More recently the park secured £2.9 million worth of investment, which was used to develop a community hub, improve the play areas, restore the fountain, and much more besides. See the Victoria Park website for further details on this project.

Guided ‘Tree Walks’ take place during the year, as well as a host of other events.