The entrance to Portchester Castle
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| The remains of the Roman Wall |
A very brief history of Portchester Castle
The fort was first built in 3rd Century AD to protect the ships in the harbour and guard from pirates. The Saxons used it as a military base, and constructed a large hall, courtyard and stone tower. Remains of a Saxon cemetery have also been found. During the Norman conquest the castle was further developed, and an Augustinian Priory was established. St Mary's Parish church is all that remains of the Priory today. Henry II was the first to use the castle as a royal residence, and it was used on route to the English territories in France. The castle almost didn't survive Henry III, who ordered it's destruction. Thankfully this did not happen, probably due to the position of the castle and it's use in military campaigns. By the 14th Century the castle was run down, but was still in use. Edward II and III renovated and improved the building, and in 1396-1399 Richard II created royal apartments, including a very grand hall.
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| Richard II's Palace Hall |
Henry VIII stayed at the castle with Anne Boleyn. The last royal visit was their daughter Elizabeth I, who held court in 1601.
The castle then became a prison from 1655 up to 1819, holding prisoners of war from conflicts such as the second Dutch War and the French Revolution. The Great Tower was altered and given extra floors, making the prison very cramped for the prisoners.
The castle was abandoned in 1819 by the army, and became a romantic ruin.
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I spent around two hours exploring the inner section of the castle. There is a free audio guide with the entrance fee from English Heritage, and you are guided round by two of the buildings residents. I found this really helpful to the background of the building. There is also an activity sheet available for children on the English Heritage website:
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/step-inside-portchester-castle/portchestercastle.pdf
It wasn't easy to climb to the top of the Great Tower, and it really tested my fear of heights, but it was definitely worth the climb, both for the view and the sense of the size of the site. Balancing my camera, audio guide and notebook up the spiral staircase was a bit of a mission! Apparently access to the roof of the tower is closed in bad or windy weather, so it's worth picking a nice day to visit.
Inside the Great Tower there was a real feel of atmosphere, you could feel the sense of history in the space. There weren't many visitors in the Tower when I was there as well, which made it a lot spookier!
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| This photograph reminds me of one of my favourite ghost stories; 'The Tower' by Marghanita Laski |
What I liked about Portchester Castle is that the main enclosure is free to enter, and is used like a public park. When I was there people were sunbathing and having picnics. It's really great to see an area used and reused, it extends the continuing history of the place. The church is still used as a religious space, and there is also a tea room there, giving the site a real sense of community.
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| St Mary's Parish Church |
One final mention. Alan Sorrell the artist created a reconstruction drawing of Portchester Castle, and it's just beautiful. Any excuse to look at his pictures!
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