Soldiers at Stonehenge

On Monday night I was honoured to attend a rehearsal for the opening of Stonehenge's new exhibition 'Soldiers at Stonehenge'. We were not told much about it, just that it would be top secret, and that we couldn't post any photographs on social media until Wednesday morning. This made it extremely exciting and I knew I had to go along and find out more.

I spent the afternoon volunteering in the Neolithic houses, in which we have recently been allowed to light the fires. This makes it more pleasant to volunteer as the houses are so warm now, but the downside is that you leave your shift smelling like a bonfire. So when I hopped onto the bus that evening that were a few comments!

The Neolithic Houses

When we got to the stones the light was fading fast, and while the event was being set up we all wandered around, illuminating different stones with our torches. Wandering amongst them was strangely eerie, and you'd feel someone behind you, only to look and realise it was another stone looming out of the dark. The sky was so clear, and the stars and moon shone brightly. The A303 was strangely not noticeable, and I really felt away from it all, and just surrounded by the stones and the stars. I've been to the stones many times before, but this was such a special experience.

Once the lights were all set up we reluctantly left the stone circle (they really are so hypnotic up close) and stood a distance away. On several of the stones footage was projected of the soldiers marching off to the war. Salisbury Plain was one of the largest training camps in the war, and many soldiers left there never to return. It reminded me of how many men had been lost, and why it is so important to wear a poppy and commemorate them.

The projection of the soldiers

The Last Post

Two soldiers played 'the Last Post' while the footage played, then we all fell silent for two minutes. It was very moving and I didn't mind that I couldn't feel my toes through the cold. I just felt so honoured and glad to be standing there peacefully on such a beautiful night.

The 'Soldiers at Stonehenge' Exhibition opened yesterday at the Stonehenge visitor centre, and is included as part of the visitor ticket.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/discover/special-exhibition/soldiers-at-stonehenge-exhibition 

Portchester Castle

The entrance to Portchester Castle

Last week I visited Portchester Castle, a beautiful castle and enclosure dating back to Roman Britain. It was somewhere that I'd been meaning to visit for a while, so I was so excited to be going. It is a fascinating site as it covers a huge period of time, and a lot of the building is still standing. The Roman walls still stand looking over Portsmouth harbour.

The remains of the Roman Wall

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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.

Richard II's Palace Hall

It was at Portchester Castle that Henry V heard about a plot to overthrow him, he prepared for his campaign against the French which would end with his victory at Agincourt.

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!

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.

St Mary's Parish Church

Details for visiting Portchester Castle can be found on the English Heritage Website:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/portchester-castle/ 

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!