Van Hire Portsmouth

Travel in your Van hire from Thrifty down the beautiful south coast of England, to the seaside city of Portsmouth, home to the world’s largest dry dock. Although still a major dockyard and base for the Royal Navy, its importance has diminished in recent years, after centuries as a significant naval port. Use your van hire to get to the docks, and spend the day wandering the Gunwharf Quays, shopping and drinking coffee, and perhaps seeing a movie. Visit the annual French and Christmas markets, using your van hire to get your goodies home again!

Portsmouth is thought to have been founded in 1180 by John of Gisors, although the 501 entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that the area was founded by a young man called Port, but this is disputed. And the Domesday Book does not list Portsmouth, but it does list towns which went on to later form the settlement. So it appears that there is some contention as to when the town began ‘officially’!

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of writings from the early 800s, and are annals written in Old English, documenting what has happened by year. Even though it is an important outline of Anglo-Saxon history, it is biased, with some events being left out or altered, and some events being contradicted amongst different versions of the Chronicle (there were copies made and distributed to monasteries).

While you’re at the docks, make sure you visit the D-Day Museum, home to the Overlord Embriodery, a 272 feet needlepoint telling the story of Operation Overlord, the code name for the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944.

Your Van hire from Thrifty is great not only for transporting shopping or furniture (or other bulky items) but also for getting around town and seeing the sites, so make sure you don’t miss anything in Portsmouth with your van hire!