Welcome to the website of Stoke Road, Gosport

It's not a flash site, but it does the job and the same could be said of Stoke Road itself

Stoke Road is no modern retail centre, it is a traditional shopping street, through which you can still drive, and park on the road, right outside the shops

Yes it's a bit higgledy-piggledy but does offer a neat if not wicked range of services and the shopping's not bad in a niche sort of way and there's more than a few third places

Parking is free on Stoke Road and in the short-stay car parks, which are a few man-sized footsteps from Stoke Road

where you will find

picture framing, bespoke blinds, bespoke jewellery

repairs and servicing for bicycles, computers, iPads, phones, laptops

specialists in trainer refurbs, customs and cleans

solicitors, estate agents, accountants, opticians, barbers, tattoo studios, chiropodists

spray tanning, nail and beauty salons, hair salons, portrait studio, bridal service, wedding photography, wedding flowers, printing and copying, personalised clothing

physiotherapy, chiropractors, opticians, pharmacy, TCM, reflexology... there's too much to mention here, see the list on the right for more

On to shopping, leisure and eating

Stoke Road has arts and crafts, furniture, bicycles, computers, vinyl record shop selling preloved and new releases plus guitar strings and accessories

washing machines, tumble dryers, cookers, fridges, freezers, microwaves

vintage, antique, collectable, comic book & game shops, crystals and incense, emporium offering space for sellers

educational learning resources, craft workshop

prom dresses, wedding dresses, jewellers, florists, schoolwear, workwear, leisurewear, sportswear

Snooker club, two fitness centres, one is a 24/7 gym plus classes right next to Waitrose and across the road is a ladies only fitness centre

Opposite Waitrose is a cafe serving breakfast, lunch, dinner

and just along the road is a vintage-themed tea room serving all day breakfast, lunch, coffee, tea, cake and it's situated next to the most 'prominent building' in the conservation area of Stoke Road

betwixt the above two eateries is a cafe serving  traditional specials such as beef stew and dumplings, liver and bacon, as well as breakfast and light lunch

for eating out in the evenings we have Thai, Indian and Italian restaurants

next to the Thai restaurant is an award-winning micropub

and there's an amazing variety of hot and cold food on tap at the takeaway outlets, daytime and evening till late
 

After we've done what we can for you

the High Street is a short walk from Stoke Road

If it's clothes or shoes you're after, the High Street has New Look, Peacocks, Edinburgh Woollen Mill

plenty of preloved shopping, a fishing tackle shop, Argos, Boots, Poundland, two health food shops and there's an excellent view of busy Portsmouth Harbour, a front-row seat in fact

there's a favourite spot in the Falkland Gardens for a view of the navy's Fleet Flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth and her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales when they're back home in the naval base

Perhaps you need a chandlery, then from the High Street you should carry on round to Mumby Road

you'll know you're in Mumby Road because there's a lot of yachts stacked up and there's a chandlery just inside the former entrance to Camper & Nicholson, now known as Endeavour Quay

continue along Mumby Road through two sets of traffic lights, you will then be in Forton Road followed by Brockhurst Road

The shops in Forton and Brockhurst are a little spread out and, like Stoke Road, frayed at the edges

talking of frayed at the edges, if you're handy with the sewing machine there's a haberdashery and fabric shops in Forton

and a much-loved greengrocers at no. 339

If you feel the need to get out of Gosport quick

continue along Brockhurst Road and you will arrive at the roundabouts at Fort Brockhurst.  You can then make your escape on the A32 or through Rowner and Stubbington

if escaping via Rowner Road you could turn left at the Newgate Lane roundabout and this will take you to the Spitfires at Daedalus and the one and only Hovercraft Museum and also to...

the shops at Lee and the only independent bookshop around these parts (the only eclectic indie bookshop)

or you could head back to the harbour, get the wind in your hair upstairs on the ferry and have a look around the Spinnaker Tower

and Gosport's Royal Navy Submarine Museum is on the south side of Haslar Bridge and

the Explosion Museum in Priddy's Hard is t'other side of Forton Lake Bridge—other side, that is, when approaching from Mumby Road

If browsing the big stores is what you need then definitely give GosVegas a miss, but please keep us in mind the rest of the time, you might find what you've been looking for "all over the place"

You can browse Stoke Road A-Z by business name or A-Z by category

PS if you need a hardware store make your way to Alverstoke village near Stokes Bay

You might find the Diving Museum open if you're visiting Stokes Bay on a weekend or bank holiday,  the UK's only museum dedicated to diving

Photo courtesy of Ann Bevan
The Diving Museum
No. 2 Battery, Stokes Bay Road, Gosport

The museum is currently closed for refurbishment, check their website for updates The Diving Museum 

  Steve Wenham

Stoke Road is on Facebook