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
New Theatre Royal literary success and long after its publication. He is known to have performed in Portsmouth later but at St Peter's Hall. Sadly, he did not perform at the current theatre and there is no evidence of his visiting it though it is possible. In the same year the old theatre was demolished, Mr Henry Rutley opened a new venue on the present site. Rutley (born Newcastle 1816) was an impresario and circus proprietor who had arrived in Portsmouth in 1854 and purchased the Swan Tavern in Commercial Road and the adjoining Landport Hall, a raquet court. He converted the hall