Portsmouth 100: Portsmouth & Southsea Station turns 179 years old with two special Victorian travellers set to appear
Playful live performance to celebrate anniversary
Rail commuters may get a shock this weekend when two Victorian travellers stop by to celebrate a Portsmouth station’s anniversary.
Portsmouth & Southsea station opened 179 years ago and to celebrate the achievement Art Up (Portsmouth) CIC will be putting on a playful live event on Sunday, June 14.
On the day, Baroness Beatrice Portsmeeth-Dines alongside her nephew Lord Archibald Portsmeeth-Dines will be passing through the station on their way to the Isle of Wight dressed in full Victorian garb.
The event, titled Stay Awhile, will see the duo roam the station posing for photographs, engaging in amusing conversations with the public, and providing Victorian observations about modern Portsmouth.
It is all part of the Portsmouth 100 celebrations and is designed to celebrate the city’s history and encourage people to see the station in a new way. The event has been funded by South Western Railway.
Paula Aldridge, Community Rail Manager for South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex said: “The railway and Portsmouth have been linked since Portsmouth & Southsea station was opened at the end of the line in 1848.
“Having celebrated the 200th anniversary of the modern railway in 2025, we’re delighted to be able to support this project which celebrates both the centenary of Portsmouth becoming a city and the station’s 179th birthday.”
Angela Parks of Art Up (Portsmouth) CIC, the organisation who run LOOKUP Portsmouth and who have created this event said: “Portsmouth has always been a city shaped by arrivals and departures. As the station was built in 1848, it felt appropriate to invite two Victorian travellers to view its magnificence and share their thoughts with the real people of the city.”
The Victorian visitors will be at Portsmouth & Southsea Station from midday until 4pm and is free to attend with no booking required.