Whilst visitors have often travelled outside of the borough on their visits, she feels that there are so many exciting things to see in Gosport, particularly with numerous regeneration projects going on…
Just days after being made Mayor on guests from France will be arrive to be hosted by Gosport residents in their own homes to enjoy a long weekend of hospitality in a tradition dating back over 65 years. On their first full day the group will go on a Heritage Showcase Tour of Gosport, on the following day they will enjoy Gosport Marine Festival which includes water sports activities, live entertainment and visiting vessels in Gosport Town and harbour waterfront.
Heritage Showcase of Gosport
On Friday 16th May 2025 Mayor and Twinning group will tour unique heritage sites of Gosport. They will start the day visiting attractions of the National Museum of the Royal Navy before taking in other heritage sites and independent museums. In the morning they will be hosted personally by the Museum’s CEO Matthew Sheldon at The Submarine Museum and Explosion! Museum of Naval Firepower.
A tour of the award winning Powder Monkey Brewery will showcase the successful regeneration of the Priddy’s Hard area with lunch in the Tap House affording views over Portsmouth Harbour. As well as craft beers brewed in Gosport, they may well have the opportunity to sample beers from Goddards Brewery on the Isle of Wight, which has recently become part of the expanding Powder Monkey Group.
The regeneration of Priddy’s Hard is thriving with Portsmouth Historic Quarter driving the Arts Council backed development project 'Carpenters' Yard', which will transform a group of historic buildings into studios for local creators. This project, due to open in September 2025, will deliver much-needed infrastructure for cultural and creative activities and contribute to wider economic and cultural regeneration. Hannah Prowse, the CEO of Portsmouth Historic Quarter will personally show behind the scenes progress on this exciting project.
Already a popular walking route for locals, a project totalling over £30m of investment is launching on Gosport’s Waterfront. Including £18m of UK Government Levelling Up Funding to restore the Rum Store building (match funded by private investment from UK Docks) and accompanied by investment in public spaces, walking and cycling routes.
In the afternoon, the group will board vintage buses preserved by Gosport charity The Provincial Society. Sites they will pass by on their route will include: Fort Brockhurst (the 1850s Palmerston Fort an English Heritage scheduled monument open to the public thanks to local volunteers), Royal Haslar and Fort Gilkicker (both Grade II listed formerly abandoned sites being reborn as housing) and The Diving Museum in its Victorian coastal defence battery site (currently closed for redevelopment after successfully bringing in excess of £1m National Lottery funding to Gosport).
The group will end their tour at with a private tour of The Hovercraft Museum, the world’s only museum of its kind celebrating the pioneering development and manufacture of Hovercraft in the Solent region. Located on the edge western edge of the museum is the main attraction located on what remains of HMS Daedalus where planning permission was recently granted for extensive mixed-use redevelopment Daedalus Waterfront as part of an application that includes 346 homes. The volunteer run museum houses a unique collection including the largest commercial hovercraft ever built, The Princess Anne SRN4 Hovercraft which operated cross channel ferry services.
Gosport Marine Festival
After personally attending to support the previous Mayor of Gosport, the new Mayor will be presiding over the opening of Gosport Marine Festival on Saturday 17th May. It's a fun day for all that has been running for over 10 years celebrating marine activities, heritage and culture in Gosport.
On Walpole Park’s boating lakes there are walk-up have-a-go activities for all ages including paddleboarding, kayaking and dinghy sailing. The Portsmouth Model Boat Display Team will be putting on their show including pyrotechnic explosions which always draw a crowd. Over by the Harbour and in Haslar Marina there are more marine activities, boat trips, stalls and live music including the launch of Gosport’s very own Shanty Festival. The festival is provided to the public free of charge thanks to the hard work of local organisations and supported by Gosport Borough Council and Hampshire County Council.
About the Twinning of Gosport and Royan
Twinning emerged in the post-WW2 era as a way to foster peace and cultural exchange across Europe to aid with regeneration and building bridges felt critical to prevent future conflicts. Like Gosport, Royan is a coastal town located near to the large cities of Bordeaux and La Rochelle. Gosport was home to the Royal Navy’s Submarine base at HMS Dolphin whilst German U-boats were based at La Rochelle. The twinning has been celebrated as laying claim to the longest streak of annual visits in the country (barring Covid lockdown).
The Gosport Royan Civic Twinning Association is a non-incorporated, non-profit membership organisation, operating independently from Gosport Borough Council. Residents of Gosport dedicate their time, money and homes for the good of their community. The association partners with other local organisations (for example sporting clubs) that host their Royannaise counterparts in concert with the biennial visit.
Quotes
“It’s a great honour to be taking over from Cllr Earle as Mayor of Gosport. There is no better way to start my term than by showcasing the amazing projects, unique heritage sites and exciting community events we have in our borough. I am excited to share with everyone exactly how we are working to develop and regenerate Gosport, breathing life into our communities and putting us on the map as a great place to live, work and visit.”
Cllr Kirsten Bradley, Mayor Elect of Gosport