Things to Do in Portsmouth in September

September is arguably the best month for this. School holiday throngs have dissipated. You can stand at the stern of HMS Victory without being jostled and hear the creak of timber. The humidity that can make the lower decks of HMS Warrior feel oppressive in August has lifted. Booking a guided walking tour that includes the dockyard lets you skip the main ticket queues and get context you'd miss alone. The water in Portsmouth Harbour is at its warmest, making the open-deck ferry rides across to Gosport or around the harbour mouth pleasant rather than bracing.

This is when walking the city's defences makes sense. The humidity drops, and that 19°C (66°F) high is good for covering ground. Start at the Square Tower in Old Portsmouth. Follow the hot stone of the Broad Street cobbles past the still-busy fishing boats at Camber Dock. Trace the sea walls all the way to Southsea Castle. You'll feel the cool Channel breeze, hear the clang of rigging in the marinas, and pass the rust-coloured brick of Palmerston's Follies - the 19th-century forts that never saw battle. The gorse and heather on the common are still in late bloom, scenting the air. Doing this in high summer feels like a slog. Doing it in October risks a cold, driving rain.

The peak-season crush on the Wightlink and Red Funnel car ferries has eased. A day trip to Ryde or Cowes becomes a relaxed prospect rather than a logistical battle. The crossing itself is a highlight - the slap of waves against the hull, the shriek of gulls following the stern, the panoramic view of Portsmouth's spinnaker-shaped skyline receding. Over on the Island, the seasonal attractions are still fully open. The beaches like Ryde's long sandy stretch are quieter. You get the full summer experience without the summer crowds. You're likely to have space to sit on the upper deck for the return journey under a September sunset.

The viewing decks of the Spinnaker Tower are less of a scrum in September. On a clear day, you can see 37 km (23 miles) in every direction - the patchwork of the South Downs, the shipping lanes in the Solent, and the distant blur of the Isle of Wight. The tower's glass floor feels different now. The harbour below is dotted with sailing boats, not jammed with tourist traffic. Afterwards, wander Gunwharf Quays. The outdoor tables at the restaurants overlooking the pontoons are still in use. You can hear the gentle knock of fibreglass hulls in the marina. It's a blend of modern Portsmouth with the constant, low hum of the naval base in the background.