Royal Clarence Yard and Marina
South East
Gosport

Royal Clarence Yard is an historic area of Gosport.

Dating from the early 1800's it used to supply the Royal Navy with its meat, bread, biscuits and beer.

 Today, visitors to the area can enjoy the cafes, bars and restaurants on the waterfront with their dramatic views across the harbour, or call into the craftsmens' workshops and artists' galleries to buy a unique souvenir of their stay.

Royal Clarence Yard is also just a short walk from Explosion! Museum. Just cross the pedestrian Millennium Bridge over Forton Lake.

History of Royal Clarence Yard:

In the 18th century, the Royal Navy was provisioned from scattered facilities in the town of Portsmouth and from the Weevil Yard in Gosport, which had a cooperage and a brewery.  

The Cooperage in Weevil Lane was established in 1766 and some of the original buildings from that period remain, including the Pump House and the old forge.

From 1828 to 1832, the Weevil Yard was expanded and renamed the Royal Clarence Victualling Yard after the Duke of Clarence.  The yard was damaged during World War II and has now been developed into a mixture of residential, office and retail areas (including artisan workshops) combined with a large Marina.

The site enjoys fantastic views across the Harbour towards Historic Portsmouth, the main berthing area for the Royal Navy's largest vessels, and south towards the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent.

A number of the historic buildings have been restored including the Bakery which features the original iron ovens used to bake bread for the navy in the 19th century.  

The Slaughterhouse has been converted into the Marina Fitness Centre and contains many of the original features.