North End is a mainly residential neighbourhood in the middle of Portsea Island

Portsea Island

Portsea Island is a small, flat and low lying island just off the south coast of England. The island is totally within, and contains a large proportion of, the city of Portsmouth. It has the third-largest population of any island in the British Isles, after the mainlands of Great Britain and...

 in Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

, England. It developed rapidly after a horse drawn tram

Tram

A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

 route was opened between Portsmouth and Cosham

Cosham

Cosham is a northern suburb of Portsmouth lying within the city boundary but off Portsea Island. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 along with Drayton and Wymering and Bocheland , Frodington and Copenore on the island.The name is of Saxon origin and means "Cossa's homestead"...

. The area is composed of mainly late Victorian

Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

 to early 20th century buildings. It is bounded to the west by Stamshaw

Stamshaw

Stamshaw is a residential district of Portsmouth, located on the north western corner of Portsea Island in southern England.Much of it consists of dense rows of 'two up, two down' terraced housing built during the late 19th century and early 20th century for dockyard workers and their families...

, to the south by Buckland

Buckland, Portsmouth

Buckland is a residential area of the city of Portsmouth in the English county of Hampshire.Buckland, then known as Bocheland, was one of the three settlements on Portsea Island mentioned in the Domesday Book. The Manor of Bocheland was purchased by Jean de Gisors...

 and Fratton

Fratton, Portsmouth

Fratton is a residential and formerly industrial area of Portsmouth, Hampshire. It consists of mostly Victorian terraced houses, and is typical of the residential areas in the city...

, to the east by Copnor

Copnor

Copnor is one of the administrative districts of Portsmouth, England, located on the eastern side of Portsea Island. As Copenore, it was one of the three villages listed as being on Portsea Island in the Domesday book....

 and by Hilsea

Hilsea

Hilsea is a district of the city of Portsmouth in the English county of Hampshire. Hilsea is home to one of Portsmouth's main sports and leisure facilities - the Mountbatten centre. The City of Portsmouth Boys' School is also in Hilsea...

to the north.

Shopping, leisure and recreation

• North End continues to support a wide range of small traders, supermarkets and other retailers, as well as a variety of pubs and budget fast food outlets.

• The Odeon cinema, opened in the 1930s and built in the Art Deco style, was a prominent local landmark until its closure in January 2008. The building was designed by Andrew Mather. As of now, where the Odeon cinema was is now Oj's.

• A public library operates near to the junction of North End with Gladys Avenue.

Churches

There are two main Anglican churches in the area - St Mark, Portsea, which is sited in Derby Road just off the main London Road shopping Centre. The church stood for many years from 1874 to 1970 on the corner of London Road with Derby Road, before being rebuilt in the late 1960s to its present site in Derby Road opposite the former site.

The other Anglican church is the Church of the Ascension in Stubbington Avenue and was carved out of the old St Mark's Parish. The worship at this church is high Anglican.

There is also a Roman Catholic church in Gladys avenue, Corpus Christi.