Portsea Island "northern end" of Kingston. Old Portsmouth lies on the south west corner of Portsea Island and forms the eastern side of the narrow entrance to Portsmouth Harbour at the ports mouth. Old Portsmouth contains most of the traditional High Street and heritage of the original old town of Portsmouth, including Portsmouth Point (also known as "Spice Island") and the Camber Dock. Portsea is a parish and narrower, informal area of the city of Portsmouth, occupying much of its south-west. Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born in Britain Street in 1806; writer Charles Dickens was born nearby at Landport on 7
Portsmouth theatrical troupe. In Patrick O'Brian's nautical historical Aubrey-Maturin series, Portsmouth is most often the port from which Captain Jack Aubrey's ships sail. Victorian novelist and historian Sir Walter Besant documented his childhood in the town in the 1840s in "By Celia's Arbour: A Tale of Portsmouth Town". The book is notable for its precise descriptions of the town before the defensive walls were removed. Southsea features in "The History of Mr Polly" by H. G. Wells under the fictional name of "Port Burdock", which he describes as "one of the three townships that are grouped around the Port Burdock naval