Hapless Harold

Did you know that Portsmouth was due to play an important part in the great invasion of 1066? King Harold kitted out an extraordinary 700 ships to cruise the Solent and ward off a threat of attack by William of Normandy, better known as William the Conqueror. Sadly for Harold, false intelligence prompted him to disband this fleet shortly before William invaded at Hastings thus altering the course of British history entirely.