Pokémon GO Summer Quest at National Trust sites

If you have spent the last decade chasing Pokémon around Portsmouth, the game's tenth anniversary is giving you a reason to head a little further afield. The National Trust has teamed up with Pokémon GO for a Summer Quest that runs across the UK, and for anyone near the coast, there are a few sites within easy reach that turn a walk in the countryside into a bit of gameplay.

The partnership is spread across the summer, with the main in-game events landing on the first two weekends of August: 1–2 August and 8–9 August. Around those dates, the collaboration is active at participating National Trust sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 18 July right through to 6 September, so there is plenty of room to fit a visit in around your other plans. More than 140 National Trust sites have been given new PokéStops, Gyms and Routes, and 27 of them are hosting the full works: dedicated raids, Timed Research and unique Location Backgrounds.

For Portsmouth, the closest of those 27 sites are in the London and South East group. Mottisfont in Hampshire is the nearest, with Nymans in West Sussex, Polesden Lacey in Surrey and Scotney Castle in Kent all within reach for a day trip. Each of these sites is running its own set of raids, Timed Research and a Location Background that changes how the game looks while you are there. The one-star raids in this region feature Hoppip, so that is what you will be facing when you take on a raid. The Timed Research is tied to visiting the sites in person, and it hands out local encounters with Treecko, Grovyle and Sceptile, each appearing with that site's specific Location Background. If you cannot make it to a site at all, there is a nationwide version of the Timed Research available to anyone in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Beyond the raids and the research, there is a prize draw running alongside the whole thing. The nationwide draw is for a trip for two to Pokémon GO Fest 2027 in Europe, which includes round-trip transport and a three-night hotel stay, with an approximate retail value of £2,000. To enter, you need to post on Instagram using #pokemongosummerquest by 23:59 on 31 August, and winners are contacted by 30 September. There is also a separate, local race over in Shoreditch, London, with a trip for two to Japan on the line, but the National Trust sites are the part you can actually reach from Portsmouth.

A couple of practical things are worth knowing before you set off. Admission fees may apply to get into the National Trust sites, so it is worth checking the price of entry before you travel. And if you are after the Timed Research rewards, you have until 23:59 on 31 August to finish it off and claim them. Whether you are after the Sceptile line or just an excuse to get out to Mottisfont for the day, it is a decent way to combine a bit of heritage with the hunt.