Portsmouth100: Spice Island's history - from lawless port to an upmarket Old Portsmouth paradise

If you’re lucky enough to catch a table outside the Spice Island Inn before the masses flock upon the outside seating like seagulls to greasy chips, you’d look across the water and tell yourself '“this is the life”.

Today, it is one of the most desirable places to live in Portsmouth, the great waterfront city and home of the Royal Navy, and you can see why. Stunning views of Gunwharf Quays, the Spinnaker Tower proudly reaching out to the heavens, glimpses of great ships peeking out from the Historic Dockyards.

However, you may not realise it, but beneath your feet, these cobbled streets hold memories best forgotten…

Beneath the beauty hides a wild past…

In the 1700s, the Point (as it was then known) had a reputation for attracting a rowdy crowd and this claim was not unfounded. In fact, packed into just a few small streets there was a whopping 41 pubs! Almost half of all pubs in the city of Portsmouth.

Centuries of rain may have washed away the spilt beer and… other substances… however this past has not been completely erased. Walking around the area, you can get lost making your way through the winding alleys and spot houses that look like redeveloped taverns. If only walls could talk.

But why the name?

Some people suggest that the name Spice Island came from the aroma of exotic fresh spices taken from all parts of the British Empire. After all, Portsmouth was the home of the Royal Navy, and ships from across the seas would have passed this area.

However, local historian Ron Brown suggests this to be a more romanticised theory. Rather than a tale that musters up ideas of fragrances and colour, it may be more likely that the name comes from the more seedy ‘spice of life’ you’d experience during your stay here. That is, if you remember it. As well as the sheer density of boozers in the area, Portsmouth Point was also dangerous. Brutal gangs, bar fights, and prostitution were all common place here - ah the great British seaside town. There are also stories of drunken men being taken or coerced into signing up for the King’s senior service.

However, we should not judge Spice Island for its past. This is an area that has matured beyond its more untamed days and while once a place of depravity, it is now the backdrop of so many memories for so many people. It was where the city welcomed back those who left to fight in the Falklands. It’s hosted boat races for over 100 years. If stood in Portsmouth Point, half a millennia ago, one may even have even felt the heat of cannon fire during the Battle of the Solent.

But it is more than that.

It is a young couple falling in love as they look out to the quayside lights, blinking as though they were the stars themselves. It is a large family gathered to watch the cruise ships and ferries pass off to the Isle of Wight. It is a group of friends laughing at one of them waving their hands in the air as a wasp descends on their ice-cold pint. Portsmouth Point is not merely historic. It has within it the soul of the south coast.

“We regarded the whole thing, the beach, Round Tower, Square Tower, the Camber, like it was home, it was just home. It was all our playground really.”

Carol Harbeck, who grew up in the area following the Second World War, speaking to the News, Portsmouth in 2009.

From lawless port to upmarket paradise, Spice Island’s story is never truly over.

If you enjoyed this LJD Histories article, check out the video on Instagram.