Portsmouth is a port city on the south coast of England, known for its Historic Dockyards and maritime heritage. It has been the base of the British Royal Navy for centuries.
On 17th September 2025, J.K. Rowling changed her X header to a photo of Tower Alley and the Round Tower in Portsmouth, which means it’s very likely to feature in the next Strike novel, Sleep Tight, Evangeline.
Round Tower
The Round Tower is a fortification tower and is a Grade I listed building. It was originally a wooden tower built in the early 1400s. At this time, a defensive chain could be raised across the harbour in an emergency. In the 1490s, the tower was rebuilt in stone. The tower was later connected by ramparts to the Square Tower further along, which in the 1580s, was converted to a gunpowder store.
Next to the Round Tower is The Canteen, which serves food and drinks and has a great view over the harbour entrance.
The Round Tower is open to the public and free to go in. You can walk along the ramparts to the square tower. There’s also a beach.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
The most popular of Portsmouth’s attractions is the historic dockyard, which is still a working Navy base but is also the home of Horatio Nelson’s famous ship the HMS Victory, Queen Victoria’s war ship the HMS Warrior, and also the remains of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s flagship that sunk during battle in 1545.
Other Dockyard attractions include the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Victory Gallery, the Submarine Museum, and of course there are gift shops and cafes.
The Historic Dockyard, as of May 2026, is £51 per adult ticket, which gets you inside the dockyard and access to all the attractions for a year.
Spinnaker Tower
This is a 170-metre high observation tower which offers great views of the city. Up there is a cafe called The Cafe in the Clouds that serves drinks, cakes, and afternoon tea. If you’re a thrill seeker you can also go abseiling.
Some Portsmouth Pubs
We don’t know if any Portsmouth pubs will appear in Sleep Tight, Evangeline yet, but here are some of the pubs closest to the Round Tower.
There are three pubs on Spice Island, close to Tower Alley:
Going in the other direction, the closest pub to the Round Tower is The Wellington, and a little further along the same street is The Dolphin, Portsmouth’s oldest pub.
Find the Round Tower on the map below.