File:Harbour Tours - Portsmouth Harbour - Portchester Castle (9373311466).jpg

On the Harbour Tour in Portsmouth Harbour.

It was from here that the Battle of the Solent took place in 1545. Where Henry VIII witnessed the Mary Rose sinking on that fateful July day!

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portchester_Castle" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Portchester Castle</a>

Portchester Castle is a medieval castle built within a former Roman fort at Portchester to the east of Fareham in the English county of Hampshire. It is located at the northern end of Portsmouth Harbour. Probably founded in the late 11th century, Portchester was a baronial castle taken under royal control in 1154. The monarchy controlled the castle for several centuries and it was a favoured hunting lodge of King John. It was besieged and captured by the French in 1216 before permanently returning to English control shortly thereafter.

Occupying a commanding position at the head of Portsmouth Harbour, in the medieval period Portchester was an important port. The castle saw the disembarkation for several campaigns to France led by England's kings. In anticipation of a French invasion during the first quarter of the 14th century, Edward II spent £1,100 repairing and reinforcing Portchester Castle. A plot to overthrow Henry V was discovered and the culprits apprehended at Portchester, the event features in Shakespeare's play, Henry V. Later in its history, the castle was used as a prison.

Today Portchester Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and a Grade I listed building. The castle has been in the ownership of the Southwick Estate since the 17th century but is managed by English Heritage and open to visitors throughout the year. The Norman church, St. Mary's, which stands in the south-east corner of the grounds, falls within the Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth.

Grade I listed building.

<a href="http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-141469-portchester-castle-hampshire" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Portchester Castle, Fareham</a>

   CASTLE STREET
   1.
   5231
   (South End)
   Portchester
   Portchester Castle
   SU 6204 11/203 18.10.55.

   I GV

   2.
   A Scheduled A.M, in the care of the Department of the Environment. The main walls are those of the Roman fort Portus Adurni built in the late C3 or early C4. They form a square 200 yds wide and enclose between 8 and 9 acres. They are of flints with bonding courses of brick or stone, but have been substantially repaired in the mediaeval period. Originally there were hollow semi-circular bastions in the angles and 4 on each side. Of these 20 bastions, 14 survive. The entrances were in the centre of the west and east sides, but the gateways now standing are both mediaeval. Of the west or land gate, the lower storey is C12, ashlar, with a 3-centred archway and originally stone vaulting to the roof but this has mostly fallen away.
   The upper portion is C14, stone rubble, and has 1 window containing 2 tiers of
   3 lights on the inner side and 2 corbel heads above the cornice. The east or watergate is a shell divided into 2 sections with an archway between. It is faced with ashlar.
   The outer portion is C14 and has a portcullis groove to the archway. The inner
   portion is older and has a circular turret staircase in the south west corner.
   In the north west corner of the Roman fort a mediaeval castle was built in the
   reign of Henry II with a massive keep in the angle of the Roman walls, which were
   cut away by a surrounding wall on the east and south sides forming an inner bailey with a projecting tower in the south east corner and a gateway in the south wall with a moat to the south and east filled with water at high tide by a sluice in the Roman wall. The keep, which projects beyond the Roman walls, is intact. It is 40 ft square and the walls are 8 ft thick. The 3 original storeys were built about 1160 and the 4th storey added in the early C13. The remaining buildings are now ruined. Those along the west and south walls of the inner bailey and Assheton's Tower in the north west corner were erected in the C14 and those to the south of the latter along the west wall in the C17. Photographs in the N.M.R. and article in Country Life, Volume 75.
   Portchester Castle forms a group with St Mary's Church, the Churchyard walls, the
   lamp in the Churchyard and the lychgate.

   Listing NGR: SU6222404655

This text is a legacy record and has not been updated since the building was originally listed. Details of the building may have changed in the intervening time. You should not rely on this listing as an accurate description of the building.