A trip to Portsmouth, Gosport and Bognor Regis
Under such the perfect weather in early April, I had a trip which was a little bit different because of visiting more than one place/town at once instead. I started from Portsmouth and ended in Bognor Regis.
Portsmouth
Situated on Portsea Island, Portsmouth is a harbour linking to Isle of Wight and Gosport. As a second visit, I took the ferry to the latter, while I still spent some time on Portsmouth to do some sketches.
And more importantly, I was attracted by the Travelodge, one of the chained budget hotel in the UK, which has a stunning city view.
I used to choose the standard room but the rooms were sold out quickly, leaving only the premium SuperRoom option which is guaranteed on the top floor with wider view as I expected.
The room overlooked the landmark Spinnaker Tower, HMS (ships of Royal Navy), sea and the whole Victoria Park next to the hotel. I was also lucky to watch the sunset.
Gosport
The fastest way to reach Gosport from Portsmouth is by ferry for sure, which is 7 minutes away, although you can choose an express bus. There is a local museum and gallery which is worth visiting. Looking back Portsmouth is also a good idea.
Coastliner 700
Outside London without Underground networks, train is usually the fastest way to connect various towns and cities while local bus covers more areas and provides more frequent services.
There is a bus route called 700 being branded as Coastliner which covers most coastal areas and inland parts between Portsmouth and Brighton. There are three sections within the route so that passengers have to change in Chichester and Littlehampton.
Regular bus fare is based on mileage, but under the national bus fare cap in England introduced since 2023, single fare is no more than certain amount. In 2023 and 2024 it was £2 and this year is £3. Some bus routes are cross-city like 702 from London to Windsor, and although changes are necessary when going to Brighton from Portsmouth, the fare is still £3 within 700 network.
The bus may take long time compared to train but the journey can be scenic. It took me around two hours to get to Bognor Regis from Portsmouth, with the change in Chichester.
You will always discover something through the bus journey, and I learnt that Chichester can be considered in my future trip.
Bognor Regis
There was no sufficient reason for me to choose Bognor Regis, just because I found the name so attractive.
Bognor Regis Museum usually opens from March or April to November every year, and I visited on their first day of the year. It was not big but there are many to see as they did a great job to collect a lot of valuable photos and information, as well as rebuilding scenes of the past like shops.
The volunteers there are friendly and one of them explained to me what 'Regis' meant in the place name.
Bognor Regis may not be so special but its history can be interesting. It used to be a small village called Bognor, and was developed into resorts by a merchant Sir Richard Hotham who restored his health there. The place gained its honours with Regis added to Bognor after King George V's recuperation in the town.
It's not the first time to hear the stories of people moving to the sea for better health, and I even suggest knowledge workers in London arranging short trips to the coast regularly not only for physical health but also mental health with more creative ideas, which can be more easily generated when not working.
I bought three small booklets from the museum. They are the general history of Bognor Regis, the rise and fall of the pier, and the sea bathing.
