Southsea seafront from Hayling Island: The D-Day Story, Southsea Castle and winter dog walks near Sandy Point

Southsea seafront is the closest big day out to Sandy Point that works in any weather. The D-Day Story on Clarence Esplanade is about 15 miles, or roughly half an hour by car from Wittering Sands, our exclusive-use house at 14 Wittering Road, Hayling Island PO11 9SP, and it sits within a few minutes' walk of Southsea Castle, Blue Reef Aquarium, the Common and a long promenade where dogs are welcome on the beach again from 1 October.

This guide covers the seafront in late autumn and winter: what is open, what each place is like for children and for dogs, where to eat, how to get there, and how it fits alongside our other Portsmouth guides.

Why Southsea seafront in winter?

Portsmouth City Council describes the seafront as running for four miles from Old Portsmouth to the Eastney conservation area, with beaches, historic defences, open green space and a long promenade with views across the Solent. Southsea Common and Canoe Lake Park sit alongside it.

In summer it is busy. In November and December it is quieter, and The D-Day Story's own accessibility notes say the museum gets busy at weekends and during school holidays and is quieter in winter. For a group staying at Sandy Point, that makes it an easy winter plan: one indoor museum, an aquarium for younger children, a castle courtyard for lunch, and a bracing walk with the dogs, all on one stretch of seafront.

What is The D-Day Story?

The D-Day Story is Portsmouth City Council's museum of the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation, told through the personal possessions and words of the people who took part. The story runs in four parts:

• Landing Craft Tank LCT 7074, the museum says the last surviving LCT from D-Day. You board by the bow ramp, see a Sherman and a Churchill tank on the tank deck (on D-Day it carried ten tanks), then climb to the wheelhouse, officers' quarters and galley. A ladder leads to the bridge, with views over Southsea Common. After the war it became a nightclub in Liverpool and later sank in Birkenhead docks; it was restored by the National Museum of the Royal Navy with National Lottery Heritage Fund support.
• Preparation, from the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940 to just before 6 June 1944.
• D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
• Legacy and the Overlord Embroidery: 34 hand-stitched panels, 83 metres long in total, commissioned by Lord Dulverton in 1968, designed by Sandra Lawrence and stitched by the Royal School of Needlework. The final panel was finished in January 1974.

There is a free audio guide to borrow at reception, which includes a descriptive guide to the embroidery.

When is The D-Day Story open?

The museum lists its hours as 10am to 5pm daily (5.30pm from April to September), except 24, 25 and 26 December. Last admission is 4pm to the museum and 3.30pm to LCT 7074. It closes at 4pm on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Tickets are sold at the door, or online in advance for a lower price, and you do not need to book a time slot. The museum lists some dates in November and December when online tickets are not valid, so check the tickets page before you buy. Parts of LCT 7074 can close in bad weather, and the bridge may close at certain times of year.

Is The D-Day Story good for children?

Yes. The museum says it is suitable for all ages, and that children aged 6 and over get the most out of a visit. Children can get close to the two tanks on board LCT 7074, try interactive displays (can you safely load a landing craft?), play touchscreen games about the spies who helped D-Day happen, and follow the Resist! family trail, inspired by the French Resistance. There is also a hologram display about the morning of D-Day.

The museum building and the LCT tank deck are buggy friendly. Upper decks on the ship are reached by steps, and the bridge only by a steep metal ladder. Some galleries are dark and loud, and the "On the beaches" gallery has flashing lights and sudden noise; ear defenders are available at reception. October half-term has family activities and a family trail, and you can see more ideas in our October half-term guide.

What about Southsea Castle in winter?

Southsea Castle was built in 1544 for Henry VIII, and the king was at the castle for the Battle of the Solent in July 1545, the day his flagship the Mary Rose sank. It stayed an active military site for over 400 years until 1960.

The castle's opening is seasonal. Its own website says the keep, ramparts and displays open free of charge, Tuesday to Sunday, from April to October. From November to March the keep and ramparts are closed, but the courtyard stays open, along with The Courtyard restaurant inside the castle walls, which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and high tea all year and has an indoor area for winter. Non-assistance dogs are not allowed in the keep but are welcome in the courtyard, where water bowls are provided.

So in winter it is a lunch or coffee stop with castle walls around you rather than a full visit. If you are here at Easter or later, see our Easter guide for spring ideas.

Is Blue Reef Aquarium a good rainy-day option?

For younger children, yes. Blue Reef Aquarium Portsmouth is on the seafront at Clarence Esplanade (PO5 3PB) and says it is open every day of the year except Christmas Day, from 10am to 5pm, with closing times varying by season. There are three zones: Solent Seas (rays, lobster, starfish and anemones from local waters), Tropical Treasures and Freshwater Fun, with turtles. A daily programme of talks and feeds runs through the day; on the day we checked it ran from a tropical fish feed at 11am to a turtle talk and feed at 4pm.

• Children under 3 go free, and tickets bought online are valid for any one day within six months.
• The building has ramps throughout and accessible toilets, and buggies can go round with you or be left in the foyer.
• No animals are allowed inside except assistance dogs, so plan the dog walk before or after.
• There is no aquarium car park; use the council pay and display parking along the Esplanade.

Can you walk the dogs on Southsea beach in winter?

Yes. Portsmouth City Council says you can walk dogs all year round between Hovertravel and the Pyramids at the western end, and on Eastney beach up to the Coffee Cup at the eastern end. The main beach between the Pyramids and the Coffee Cup is closed to dogs from 1 May to 30 September, and dogs are allowed there again from 1 October. Yellow signs along the seafront show where dogs are allowed.

That makes November to April the best time to bring dogs to Southsea. A few practical points:

• Pet dogs are not allowed inside Blue Reef, and The D-Day Story's website mentions guide dogs only, so ask the museum before you rely on bringing a pet inside.
• Southsea Castle courtyard welcomes dogs, with water bowls.
• In Old Portsmouth, Hotwalls Studios says dogs are welcome in its studios and in The Canteen, a waterfront café open 8am to 4pm every day.
• Parts of Eastney beach are vegetated shingle, a rare protected habitat, so keep to the paths there.
• The Southsea Coastal Scheme is building new sea defences along about 4.5km of the seafront in phases, so expect some changes to access along the promenade.

Our dog-friendly Hayling guide covers beaches and walks straight from the door at Sandy Point.

What is there in Old Portsmouth?

At the western end of the seafront, Hotwalls Studios in the Point Battery and Barracks on Broad Street (PO1 2FS) has restored historic buildings used as studios by artists and makers. Opening hours vary by studio, and Open Studios days on the first Sunday of each month open every studio from 11am to 4pm. The studios and The Canteen are wheelchair accessible; the walkways above the studios and the top of the Round Tower are not.

For Christmas shopping, the Hotwalls Festive Creative Market runs over two weekends: 28 and 29 November and 5 and 6 December 2026, with local makers, chalets, stalls in the Round Tower, food and drink and live music.

How do you get there from Sandy Point?

• By car: about 15 miles and roughly 30 to 35 minutes in normal traffic. Cross the Langstone bridge, follow Langstone Road and Eastern Road onto Portsea Island, then head down to the seafront. Use PO5 3NT for The D-Day Story. There is a 125-space car park next to the museum, open 24 hours, with toilets including a Changing Places facility; the museum says visitors who park there get a small discount on entry. Blue Badge holders park free in the marked bays. Seafront car parks can fill up at busy times.
• By bus: Stagecoach route 23 serves Southsea, with stops at Palmerston Road and South Parade Pier, a short walk from the museum, castle and aquarium. From Sandy Point it means changing buses, so check the timetables before you travel.
• By train: the nearest station is Portsmouth and Southsea, about 1.5 miles' walk from The D-Day Story.

With a group of up to nine, the car is simplest.

What else could you combine it with?

The museum is next to the Hovertravel terminal, and The D-Day Story says the crossing to the Isle of Wight takes about 10 minutes; see our Isle of Wight guide. For the Historic Dockyard, Gunwharf and the harbour, see our Portsmouth harbour guide. For more military history on a separate day, there is Fort Nelson on Portsdown Hill and Portchester Castle at the top of the harbour.

For a winter or festive stay, our November weekend guide, winter walks and birdwatching guide and Christmas and New Year guide have more ideas, and our milestone birthday guide covers three-generation stays. Closer to home, the Around Hayling guide covers beaches, pubs and walks on the island.

What are the stay details?

Check-in at Wittering Sands is from 4pm and checkout is by 10am. The house sleeps up to nine across four bedrooms and five beds, with 3.5 bathrooms. Children are welcome, and infants under 2 are welcome too, with a travel cot and highchair on request. Up to two well-behaved dogs are welcome. The house is for the booked guests only and does not allow parties or events. The minimum stay is usually 3 nights, and the booking calendar shows the minimum for your dates.

Rates vary by season and length of stay. The live calendar shows the current figure for your dates; this guide does not indicate availability.

How do you book?

Check the live booking calendar for current dates and pricing. If you want to talk through the group, dogs or travel plans, get in touch.

Opening times, events, tickets, parking and dog rules can change. Check The D-Day Story, Southsea Castle, Blue Reef Aquarium and Portsmouth City Council websites before you travel.