Visitors to south east England usually come equipped with a thick tourism guide to show them the many sites this part of the country has to offer.

However, the tourism guides do not always provide enough information about some of the lesser known tourist sites which are overlooked for the more popular visitor attractions.

Whether you wish to visit the beaches and the ‘Onions In The Sky’ Royal Pavilion of King George the VI in Brighton, or take a tour of the HMS Victory, the flagship of Admiral Horatio Nelson in Portsmouth, this area of England offers visitors a wide variety of places to see, things to do, and attractions to take in that may not necessarily be on the beaten path.

Here are a few of the main tourism attractions of Portsmouth.

HMS Victory

Sitting in dry dock in the cities dockyard district is the HMS Victory. This ship is the one that defeated Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo and was commanded by Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson. Visitors to the HMS Victory who have watched popular movies that depict ships of the time will be surprised to note just how small these Navy vessels really were during the day. Taller visitors should be forewarned that they may have to duck when touring the lower decks.

Mary Rose

When touring of the HMS Victory is finished, visitors can then see the hull of the Mary Rose, the recently salvaged flagship of King Henry VIII.

Seaside promenade

Once the decks of the HMS Victory and the Mary Rose are left behind, visitors to Portsmouth should take a walk along the seaside promenade and enjoy the variety of amusements that are there.

Children and parents alike can enjoy the indoor play zone that is open all year round or can stop along the boardwalk for a prawn or cucumber sandwich while watching the seagulls circle.

The beach is a pebble one, but this does not deter visitors from enjoying it of the cold waters of the Channel.

Charles Dickens birthplace

Finally, visitors to Portsmouth who enjoy the classics will want to take in the birthplace of Charles Dickens, one of Britain’s greatest authors, or they can traverse the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Walk and view many of the places that inspired the author behind one of the worlds greatest literary characters, ‘Sherlock Holmes’.

Fishbourne Roman Ruins

The Fishbourne Roman Ruins is the largest intact wing of a Roman palace that dates back thousands of years to the time of the Roman conquest and Julius Caesar.

Visitors to the ruins can view intact mosaics and a heating system that far surpassed most during the day.

The Collection Discovery Centre

The Collection Discovery Centre offers a daily tour which allows visitors to actually handle artefacts that are as old as the ruins themselves, a rare and unique opportunity for all.

Visitors to Oxford, a famous universtity town, can actually take what is known as the ‘Harry Potter Walk’ and visit the many different places where scenes from the popular movies where filmed.

Christ Church and the Bodleian Library are just two of the locations that inspired the producers of the movies.

Additionally, Oxford – also known as the city of dreaming spires – offers guests three different history museums, a botanical garden, and plenty of shopping opportunities.

No matter where you choose to visit, make sure you visit the city of Salisbury and the mystic Stonehenge and keep an eye out on the hillsides for the chalk drawing known as ‘The White Horse of Uffington’ to make your visit complete.

Of course these are only a few of the places south east England can offer guests.