Here's a quick look around Gosport starting with Stoke Road

Stoke Road is no modern retail centre, it is a traditional shopping street, through which you can still drive, and park on the road, right outside the shops

Yes it's a bit higgledy-piggledy but does offer a neat if not wicked range of services and the shopping's not bad in a niche sort of way and there's more than a few third places

Parking is free on Stoke Road and in the short-stay car parks, which are a few man-sized footsteps from Stoke Road

where you will find

picture framing, bespoke blinds, bespoke jewellery

repairs and servicing for bicycles, computers, laptops, iMac, MacBook Pro

specialists in trainer refurbs, customs and cleans

estate agents, financial advisers, accountants

spray tanning, nail and beauty salons, hair salons, portrait studio, sunbed tanning salons, wedding flowers, printing and copying, tattoo studios

sports therapy, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, chiropractors, opticians, chiropodists... there's too much to mention here, see the list on the right for more

On to shopping, leisure and eating

Stoke Road has washing machines, tumble dryers, cookers, fridges, freezers, microwaves

antique, vintage, collectables, comic book & game shop, treasure chest of crystals and incense, emporium offering space for traders

vinyl record shop selling preloved and new releases, guitar strings, accessories, books

bicycles, furniture, computers, laptops, jewellers, florists

Art store, Artwork, Art & Design studio

Creative workshops, dance school

snooker club, swim & spa, two fitness centres: one is open 24/7 right next to Waitrose and across the road is a ladies only fitness centre

A few strides from the ladies-only gym is a former 19th century pub transformed into a coffee shop and you can also have lunch or Afternoon Tea

opposite Waitrose is a cafe serving up traditional dishes and light meals and there's a feature menu

just along the road is a vintage-themed tea room situated next to the most 'prominent building' in the conservation area of Stoke Road with a full menu available all day

betwixt the above two eateries is a cafe with Sunday roast on the menu, watch the window for daily specials

for eating out in the evenings there are Thai, Indian and Italian restaurants

next to the Thai restaurant is an award-winning micropub

and there's an amazing variety of hot and cold food on tap at the takeaway outlets, daytime and evening till late

When the Stoke Roaders have done what they
can for you the High Street is a short walk away through Walpole Road

If it's clothes or shoes you're after, the High Street has New Look, Peacocks, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Bonmarché, Sports Direct

a fishing tackle shop, Argos, Boots, Superdrug, Savers, Holland & Barrett and there's an excellent view of busy Portsmouth Harbour, a front-row seat in fact

there's a favourite spot in the Falkland Gardens for a view of the navy's fleet flagship HMS Prince of Wales and her sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth when they're back home in the naval base

Perhaps you need a chandlery, then from the High Street you should carry on round to Mumby Road where you will see

the Castle Tavern, one of turk town's oldest pubs and it has a blue plaque commemorating the history of the building and the site

(the oldest pub in Gosport is the Fox Tavern in North Street, serving beer since c.1736)

next to the Castle is the YouBoat chandlery located inside the former entrance to Camper & Nicholsons now known as Endeavour Quay and

in the yard is the Boathouse Cafe where you can sit and watch port traffic up close and have coffee or a meal, indoors or out

continue along Mumby Road through two sets of traffic lights, you will then be in Forton Road followed by Brockhurst Road

The shops in Forton and Brockhurst are a little spread out and, like Stoke Road, frayed at the edges

talking of frayed at the edges, if you're not handy with the sewing machine there's an alteration service at 87 Forton Road, and dressmaking and soft furnishings

continue into and along Brockhurst Road and you will arrive at Fort Brockhurst, one of the forts built in the 19th century as part of Portsmouth Royal Dockyard's improved protection in light of a feared French invasion

the fort is an English Heritage site and open to the public, though not every day, and entry is free

If you feel the need to get out of Gosport quick
you can make your escape on the A32 or through Rowner and Stubbington

if escaping via Rowner Road you could turn left at the Newgate Lane roundabout and this will take you to the Spitfires at Daedalus and the one and only Hovercraft Museum and also to...

the shops at Lee and the only independent bookshop around these parts, the only eclectic indie bookshop

Or you could head back to the harbour, get the wind in your hair upstairs on the ferry and have a look around the Spinnaker Tower

and Gosport's Royal Navy Submarine Museum is on the south side of Haslar Bridge and on the

north side there are two restaurants, one overlooks Haslar Marina and the other is in the marina, on the water, and hard to miss, it's apple green

the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower in Priddy's Hard is t'other side of the bridge over Forton Lake; other side, that is, when approaching from Mumby Road

and one of the best Gosport views of The Princess Royal Jetty, the usual berthing spot of R08 and R09, is from the bridge

Explosion has its own cafe and opposite is the Powder Monkey brewery with a taphouse nearby

If browsing the big stores is what you need then definitely give GosVegas a miss, but please keep us in mind the rest of the time, you might find what you've been looking for 'all over the place'

You can browse Stoke Road A-Z by name or A-Z by category

PS not forgetting the businesses serving the residents of Elson, Hardway, Bridgemary, Rowner, and there's the Alver Valley Garden Centre at PO13 8NZ

PPS if you need a hardware store make your way to Alverstoke village near Stokes Bay

You might find the Diving Museum open if you're visiting Stokes Bay on a weekend or bank holiday, the UK's only dedicated diving museum


Photo courtesy of Ann Bevan
The Diving Museum
No. 2 Battery, Stokes Bay Road, Gosport

 
There are two seaside cafe/restaurants on the beach at Stokes Bay: Bayside Cabin next to the Diving Museum and Pebbles next to the sailing club

there is a restaurant opposite the beach, in The Alverbank, across the moat and behind the trees

there's another hotel around the corner from the beach, The Anglesey in Crescent Road

both hotels are listed buildings and both are wedding venues and both have a royal history.

 

For a broader look at what Gosport has to offer
go to the council's Tourism and Cultural website
DiscoverGosport.co.uk

follow the waterfront trail
visitsoutheastengland.com/dbimgs/Waterfront Trail




  Steve Wenham