Roman Fort to Royal Palace – Portchester Castle & Village Tour
Portchester Castle is set within the walls of one of the best-preserved Roman forts in Europe, Built on low-lying land that protrudes into Portsmouth Harbour. It may not be a place you’re familiar with, so join us for a blustery walk around this historic fortress and the charming
Castle Street where we find quaint thatched and Georgian houses in the village of Portchester. We’ve travelled to Portsmouth many times either to cross over to the Isle of Wight on the Wightlink ferry or to visit the Gunnwhalf Quay shopping outlets,
But until a recent visit to find and explore the birthplace of Charles Dickens, which you can see in a separate video we had no idea the castle was here! Hidden in plain sight so to speak, it’s easily seen from the main road that heads into Portsmouth, somehow we’d missed it.
We drove to the castle utilizing the pay and display car park just outside the stone curtain walls of the fort. Jumping out of the car you can appreciate just how high they are at 6.1 metres, 20 feet, they would have provided formidable protection. Base limestone slabs, flint and brick make up
The lower portions of the walls. They were repaired and raised in medieval times but are still largely the original Roman walls. It’s not clear when they first built this fort but Roman coins excavated on the site date from the late 3rd Century giving an indication of the timeline. It
Was then known as “Portus Adurni”. What is clear is that the Romans needed to protect the harbour from seaborn invaders and this was the perfect site to set up defenses. In fact, they would do this right along the southern coast of Britain. One incredible example of Roman engineering
Stands at Dover Castle where the 2,000-year-old Pharos can still be seen today. A Roman lighthouse with a fiery beacon, lighting the way, helping their vessels navigate the waters and guiding the galleys to shore. You can watch our tour on the incredible Dover castle already available on our channel to find out more.
D-shaped towers were positioned around the fort so sentries could see in all directions. At one time 20 in total. The evolution of the fort has seen some of them disappear now. By the fifth century, the Roman Empire was no more and the fort fell into
The hands of the Saxons who had invaded England. They named it “Portus Ceaster” and that name later morphed into Portchester. The Saxons settled a village within the fort walls and excavations have provided a wealth of artefacts from the Roman and Saxon periods. In the 9th century,
King Alfred the Great was creating a large defensive network along the coast. These were known as “burghs”, they were designed to defend the Kingdom of Wessex from Viking attacks and Portchester was one of several locations chosen. There are now two main entrances into the fort and
This is the Landgate. Most of this entrance was remodelled from the Roman gate in the 1390s with a vaulted passageway and accommodation above. It’s worth noting you don’t need a ticket to walk around the grounds of the fort, the ticket is only required to explore inside the castle.
The biggest changes to the fort came after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Needing new defences from foreign attack and closer to home from those who wanted the Saxons back, King Henry I commissioned the first part of the tower in the northwest corner creating an inner Bailey built in
The form of the Norman keep we see here in around 1130 AD. It rose in height in the first 20 years, adding additional floors but didn’t reach its towering 30 metre full height till the 1320s. Henry also built St Mary’s Church in the outer bailey,
Built of Isle of Wight stone by Norman masons in the late 1120s it was given by Henry I to Augustinian monks led by a prior and so it became St Mary’s Priory. There were a number of buildings surrounding the church but there’s no trace of those now.
In the mid-12th century, the monks moved on to Southwick but today it’s still the local Parish church. We would have loved to have taken you inside but there was a christening going on. To enter the castle we approach the gatehouse and moat. In the Middle Ages,
The moat would have encircled the castle both inside and outside the fort. Fed by the sea it would have been a much deeper and wider defence than we see today. Let’s look inside and find out how King Richard II left his mark on Portchester Castle.
English Heritage looks after the entire Fort and Castle, all but the Parish church. For those with membership, you can head inside for free otherwise a ticket can be purchased see open times and prices here. We are now in the heart of this small Castle, the inner Bailey and whilst it might not appear
To be one of the more important castles of the realm royalty visited often and Henry II used it as a place from which he embarked on travel to his other territories in France.
Richard II would do the same but took it a step further by building a small palace here in the 1390s which had accommodation for his hunting trips in the nearby area. You can see the remains of some impressive apartment chambers, the Great Hall and catering rooms like the kitchen and buttery.
This two-storey space contained storage and service areas on the ground floor whilst the majority of the upper floor was taken with the Great Hall. Access to the kitchens was to the west and holes for the beams to hold the upper floor can still
Be seen. King Henry VIII and Ann Boylen were known to have been guests in this Great Hall. On the other side of the inner bailey was the constable’s house, the person responsible for looking after the castle. Sir Robert Ashton was constable from
1376 to 81 and he added this tower now known as “Ashton Tower” as an extension of his home. The castle also acted as a prison at various times in its history and prisoners of many different nationalities and backgrounds were brought here to Portchester in the course of Wars.
As we enter the keep we see a theatre that was created by the French prisoners during the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars of 1793 to 1815. The theatre has not survived in the ground floor but has been recreated so that we can get an idea of what it looks like.
Housing an audience of up to 300, tightly packed in, plays were performed to keep up morale. Even locals of Portsmouth were allowed to come and see the shows for a period of time. Climbing the spiral staircase we reach the first floor which in the 12th century was used as
Accommodation with a central wall creating two chambers on each of the four floors. A well in the corner providing water. An alternative stepped entrance into the keep likely added much later allows us to look out over the inner bailey. Access to each floor was by the spiral staircase but a
More modern set of stairs have been added inside for today’s visitors. On the second floor, we find faint remains of wall paintings. In the 19th century, the castle became a tourist attraction with pleasure gardens and events.
The paintings depict this period and this floor was believed to have been used for another theatre. Exhibits and information boards around the tower explain more events in the castle’s history some of which we’ve already spoken of. We would have liked to have seen the views from the very top of the tower
But the winds that day meant it was sadly closed for views of the Solent and harbour. We had to be content with views through windows on the third floor. Before we leave the castle and head for the pretty Castle Street, let’s walk to the Watergate. Like the Landgate this replaced the Roman
Entrance but earlier in around the 1320s, protecting the fort with a portcullis, this would have been the entrance used by visitors arriving and departing on vessels. You can walk around the outer walls of the fort and notice how close to the shoreline the fort is. Its low-lying land is susceptible to flooding.
The village of Portchester grew up in and around the fort and castle. Taking a stroll along Castle Street we can see some wonderful buildings that have retained their charm and beauty from a number of eras. The Cormorant is the only remaining public house of the six that once
Occupied the streets of Portchester. A nice place to grab a pint and some lunch. The Village extends much further than just this pretty street with more modern and recent homes and businesses, so we’ll finish our tour of the castle and the area here. We hope you’ve
Enjoyed our tour around this important and hidden part of Portsmouth. Do join us again for more videos across the UK and abroad. Thanks for watching the MemorySeekers.
Portchester Castle on the southern coast of Hampshire, England has served a military purpose for as long as Portchester village has. With the best preserved Roman Fort walls in Europe and a Norman Castle and Priory built inside, Portchester Castle has been a Roman fortress, a Norman stronghold and even a prisoner of war camp during the Napoleonic Wars.
Join us as we peel back the years on Portchester Castle, learn about its early Roman creation, why it was built and how it became an important Royal Palace in the late 1300s. Did you know it had a theatre inside the keep? Find out how that came about.
We’ll also explore the village of Portchester and take a look at some of the wonderful thatched and Georgian buildings that still survive in this charming part of Portsmouth.
For more Castles of England take a look at this playlist.
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00:00 Introduction
00:35 Castle in Portsmouth
01:20 The Making of a Roman Fort
02:43 Saxon’s at Portchester
03:22 Landgate Entrance
03:44 The Making of a Norman Castle
04:21 St Mary’s Church
05:12 Inside Portchester Castle
06:34 A Royal Palace
09:28 Portchester as a Prison
10:25 The Tower
12:33 Watergate Entrance
13:26 Castle St Portchester Tour
#englishheritage #romanfort #englishcastle
27 Comments
Splendid video 🎉👌
Love it, thank you Simon and Will. What an amazing piece of history and love the research that you have done. Take care =-)
Outstanding! Chock full of amazing footage, fascinating & informative Commentary and beautiful & charming places. Watching your videos is just like watching a top notch BBC/PBS or A&E Documentary! Truly Professional, very beautiful & so fascinating! You should be working for one of those Companies! You would truly do them proud! It is no wonder you won the YouTube Award for excellence in videos. It was truly well deserved! Thank you for sharing another excellent experience!. Blessings to you!
Eine faszinierende Reise durch die Geschichte von Portchester Castle! Die Kombination aus römischer Festung, normannischem Schloss und Kriegsgefangenenlager spiegelt die vielschichtige Vergangenheit dieses Ortes wider. Die Erklärungen zu seiner Entstehung und Entwicklung im Laufe der Jahre bieten einen informativen Einblick. Interessant zu erfahren, dass es sogar ein Theater im Bergfried gab! Die Erkundung des Dorfes Portchester und die Einblicke in die erhaltenen Gebäude geben dem Video eine zusätzliche Dimension. Vielen Dank für diese lehrreiche und visuell ansprechende Tour durch dieses historische Juwel! 👏🏰🕰
nice
Absolutely enchanting! I would love to visit this charming town. Many thanks for your wonderful videos❤
Looks absolutely beautiful the village , and love the history of the castle, love castles, thankyou
Another wonderful video highlighting both the history and beauty of an area. Your videos always make me want to get on a plane and see the site you featured for myself. Thank you.
Wow as a Canadian I'm absolutely awestruck at the history,architecture,Beauty of the U.K.!At every turn things are so different and it all seems to work-every home seems to exude a character all it's own!My Heritage is from the U.K. and I must have this Love for what I see in these tremendous mini documentaries.Also watch "Escape to the Country" with it's absolutely Phenomenal presenters who I find just second to none Nicki, Johnny,Alistar,Jules,Ginny,Steve,Sonali,Margherita etc. -need I say more!!!!They showcase all of the Gorgeous, innovative, spectacular aspects much as you do in this cliip! Well I had a period as a young child that I spoke with an english accent, know now I should have married a Lady from the U.K. that quite frankly would have suited me down to the ground as I then would have had a direct connection and the circle would have been complete!Then there is U.K. music which is unrivaled as well!!! Thankyou and Cheers to you all in your Blessed Magical U.K. Isles!
Beautiful
2000 years of history and the ubiquitous Wet Floor sandwich-board to represent modern times
Just lovely. Hello from California 🇺🇸
As a local my favourite place in the world. The history and peaceful nature at the top of Portsmouth Harbour has always been a comfort and joy to me.
Interesting tour as always. Thanks for the history of that castle. It has certainly seen some history and changes. The village streets were delightful and, in fact, made me want to live in one of those houses. Charming little area and one I would have been unaware of if you had not posted this.
Que hermoso lugar con tanta historia.
I've never heard of this Castle and its facinating history. Thanks Simon and Will.
Wow.
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Отличное видео, история Англии интересна мне. Смотрю с удовольствием.
Beautiful video from my part of the world. You have done a beautiful job of presenting Portchester in all its beauty and glory. Thanks guys
Hi Simon and Will. The castle remains are amazing. I can imagine how beautiful it would have been during its’s heyday. Not so much for the prisoners. The reconstructed theatre was impressive. Portchester, with its various architecture, is very pretty. Took a screenshot of that thatched pink cottage. How lovely. Thanks again and take care til next time. ❤Memory Seekers is a treasure.
❤👍🏻⚘🤩
Anybody who’s watched the 70’s TV series Colditz may remember the big escape at the end of series #1.
Some of the outdoor escape sequences were filmed at Porchester Castle.
In the 1970’s my family ran a small hotel and a number of the crew stayed there with us during filming.
I was about 11 at the time and I can remember pestering them to get me Bob Warner’s autograph. 😃
I grew up in Portchester from the ages of 7 to 16 (I left in 1986) and went to 2nd Portchester Cub Scouts and was in the choir of St.Mary's Church (in the corner of the castle) for two or three years.
I now live in America 🇺🇸 and am now a U.S citizen.
I live in the newer part of the village it is a lovely place to live with plenty of places to walk eat drink and visit so nice to be near the sea and all its benefits thanks for bringing it to the nations attention
Wow 👌
Absolutely wonderful!
Wonderful castle tour 👏👏