VICTORIA PARK, PORTSMOUTH.
Situated just to the north of Portsmouth Guildhall, across the railway lines, is Victoria Park.
This park covers almost 15 acres and is planted with trees, shrubs and flowers.
Victoria Park is flanked to the West by the towering glass clad Zurich Insurance building.
To the south by the Guildhall, University buildings formerly the Municipal College and Victoria Swimming Pool.
To the east, across Anglesea Road are more University buildings and Naval establishments and finally to the north on Edinburgh Road is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John.
At the centre of the park is an enclosed area containing an aviary with peacocks, parrots and other exotic birds. An adjacent area contains small mammals such as rabbits and guinea pigs which children enjoy feeding.
Contained within the park but primarily towards the eastern entrance there is a large collection of memorials and monuments connected to the Royal Navy.
This collection includes a Chinese bell in a minature pagoda, erected by the crew of HMS Orlando in honour of their fallen shipmates, lost during the campaign to relieve Peking in 1900. The original bell was returned to China in 2005 and a replica has replaced the original.
Another memorial honours the officers and men of HMS Powerful who lost their lives in the Boer War.
There are a number of other obleisks and memorials situated in this area of the park.
