Portchester Castle
 Castles |
Standing on a low promontory close to the north side of Portsmouth Harbour is Portchester Castle, one of the most fascinating historical sites in Britain. Constructed by the Romans around AD285-90, this fortress was one of a chain of defences built on the North Sea and Channel coasts, late on in the occupation of Britain, to counter marauding Saxon pirates - hence their name 'Forts of the Saxon Shore'. Portchester was probably the Portus Adurni mentioned in the late-Roman document the Notita Dignitatum. Construction of the castle is associated with Carausius, the Roman 'Count of the Saxon Shore' who turned rebel and ruled Britain independently for 10-yrs until his assassination.
Portchester is one of the largest of the Roman 'Saxon Shore' forts, the best-preserved Roman fortress in northern Europe and one of the most impressive ancient monuments in Britain. Its massive walls, 20ft high and 10ft thick, are among the finest surviving examples of Roman wallbuilding - a walk around their perimeter is a sobering experience. The semicircular projecting bastions, of which 14 of the original 20 survive, were a novel feature, being designed to accommodate heavy artillery such as the Roman ballista or catapult.
After the Roman withdrawal from Britain in about AD401, Portchester's defences remained much as they were for centuries. The castle appears to have been occupied by the Saxons throughout the Dark Ages; King Alfred certainly employed it as one of his strongholds in the defence of Wessex. In 1133, Henry I founded an Augustinian priory within the fortress walls near the Water Gate; the priory only remained on this site for 20-yrs before being moved inland to Southwick. The parish church of Portchester, an outstanding example of the Romanesque style of architecture, is the sole survivor of the monastic foundation.
In 1153, during the reign of the Norman king, Stephen, the abandoned fortress was occupied with a view to improving its defences. A massive castle keep was built on the north-west corner, which is now open to visitors and offers spectacular views from its high vantage point. The Norman builders utilised existing Roman walls on two sides, whilst constructing a defensive moat to protect the remainder of the castle, thereby enclosing an inner bailey. At a later date the keep was heightened, and further fortifications occurred at regular intervals throughout the years. The ruined rooms located around the walls of the inner bailey are those of Richard II's late 14th century palace.
In 1415 Henry V employed the stronghold as his garrison, mustering his troops on the 9 acres of outer bailey before leading them through the Water Gate to embark for France and their destiny at Agincourt. Subsequently, the castle was employed as a Royal country house and in 1535 Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn resided here and were 'very merry' - a year later poor Anne went to the scaffold! Their daughter, as an elderly Queen of England, Elizabeth I, stayed at Portchester in 1601, on her last 'progress' through the realm - a moment, perhaps for quiet contemplation on the fate of her unfortunate mother.