One of southern England's most alluring waterfront tourist destinations is Spinnaker Tower, which sits poised 170 meters over the historicm naval dockyard and waterfront. This shining white pinnacle is a design more suited to the sunlit vistas of Sydney Harbour (AMP Tower) or Auckland (Skytower), or Vancouver's famous Lookout.
It bears instant and favourable comparison to all of the above. Despite being labelled as a "white elephant" in the press due to its malfunctioning elevators, huge budgetary over-runs and somewhat delayed opening (it was meant to open for the Millennium but opened on 18 October 2005), it is now a great source of pride for the city of Portsmouth.
On a clear day, the tallest accessible structure in England outside London offers panoramic views of Spithead, the Isle of Wight, Gosport and the city and old harbour of Portsmouth itself. Portsmouth is of course a city steeped in history and the highlight must be HMS Victory, the ship on which Admiral Nelson sailed and from which he led the great military victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Equally prominent in the history of old Portsmouth is HMS Warrior, the first iron-clad military ship in the world, and the great Mary Rose, lifted from the sea bed off the Solent where it sank during the reign of King Henry VIII. The Spinnaker Tower is the ideal place to gaze upon this panoply of nautical treasures and the view stretches across the old Solent towards Wight and inland to the South Downs. The Tower is such a prominent landmark that it can be easily seen from planes.
Portsmouth is an exceptional city for any tourist interested in history and the Round Tower and Square Tower of the old city's defences can easily be seen from the Tower. Spice Island is the historic quarter and retains a period charm and lovely nautical feel with its bustling harbour. In short, a trip to the Spinnaker Tower is one of the hidden secrets of southern England. For other exceptional English historical tourist attractions follow this link.