Portchester Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Porchester

In the civil parish of Fareham. In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Hampshire, 1974 county of Hampshire).

The main walls date from C3/4; they are those of the Roman Fort Portus Adurni. The walls form a square 200 yds. wide, built of flint with brick and stone bonding courses, substantially repaired in the mediaeval period. Fourteen, of the original twenty, hollow semi-circular bastions survive. Entrances are in the centres of west and east sides, the gateways now standing are mediaeval. In the north west corner of the fort is a mediaeval castle built during the reign of Henry II, moated to the south and east The keep extends beyond the Roman walls, and is 40 ft. square with walls 8 ft. thick, originally of three storeys, a fourth was added in C13. Other buildings erected in C14 and C17 are now in ruins.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 141469)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU62480456

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 238704
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 28001 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.hants.gov.uk/leisure/navdef/portchca/
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/portchester/portchester.php
    http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/entries/v10p039e08.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/196/portchestercastle.htm
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.207
    http://www.norman-world.com/angleterre/Patrimoine_architectural/Angleterre/Castles/portchester/porches1.htm
    http://www.itraveluk.co.uk/content/417.html
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/portchester.html
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p394-6
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p44-9
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p87-8 [plan]
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford)
    Pevsner, N., and Lloyd, D., 1990. The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (London, Penguin) p377-82
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby) p18, 134, 174
    Furtado, Peter et al (eds), 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain (London) p25
    Cunliffe, B.W. and Munby, J.T., 1985. Excavations at Portchester Castle 4: Medieval, the inner bailey (London: Society of Antiquaries of London Research Report)
    Barron, W.G., 1985, The Castles of Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Paul Cave) p36-40
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p192
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p280
    Cunliffe, B.W., 1977, Excavations at Portchester Castle 3: Medieval, the outer bailey and its defences (London: Society of Antiquaries of London Research Report)
    Cunliffe, B.W., 1976, Excavations at Portchester Castle 2: Saxon (London: Society of Antiquaries of London Research Report)
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works Vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) p291-2
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Cunliffe, B.W., 1967, Studies in Local History, Portchester, Portsmouth Papers Vol1 (Portsmouth City Council)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p783-92
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p18-19, 85-6
    Cooke, 1928, Portchester Castle (Portsmouth)
    Williams-Freeman, J.P.,1915, An Introduction to Field Archaeology as Illustrated by Hampshire (London) p263-6, 394-5
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p283-90
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Page, Wm (ed), 1908, VCH Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol3 p151-8
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p209-12
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p388-401
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p413-5
    King, Edward, 1799-1805, Munimenta antiqua or Observations on antient castles (W.Bulmer and Co) Vol2 p22-35
    1784, The Antiquarian Repertory (London) Vol4 p75-6 and plate
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p109
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol2 p215-18
• Journal Articles
  • Hughes, Michael, 1989, 'Hampshire Castles and the Landscape 1066-1216' Landscape History Vol2 p27-60
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p315
    Fletcher, J.M. and Tapper, M.C., 1984, 'Medieval artefacts and structures dated by dendrochronology' Medieval Archaeology Vol28 p119-121 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p209
    Kenyon, J.R., 1977, 'Early Gunports' Fort Vol4 p83
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1976, ‘Medieval Britain in 1975' Medieval Archaeology Vol20 p184 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    1973, Medieval Archaeology Vol17 p143 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Cunliffe, B.W., 1972, ‘Excavations at Portchester Castle, Hampshire, 1969-1971: fourth interim report [3rd- to 19th-century occupation] ’ Antiquaries Journal Vol52 p70-83
    1971, Medieval Archaeology Vol15 p147 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Cunliffe, B.W., 1970, ‘The Saxon culture-sequence at Portchester Castle [Hampshire]’ Antiquaries Journal Vol50 p67-85
    Cunliffe, B.W., 1969, ‘Excavations at Portchester Castle, Hants, 1966-68; third interim report’ Antiquaries Journal Vol49 p62-74
    Cunliffe and Rigold, 1967, Archaeological journal Vol123 p193-5
    Cunliffe, B.W., 1966, 'Excavations at Portchester Castle, Hants, 1963-5 Second Interim report' Antiquaries Journal Vol46 p39-49
    1965, Medieval Archaeology Vol9 p189-90 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    1964, Medieval Archaeology Vol8 p253 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Cunliffe, B.W., 1963, 'Excavations at Portchester Castle, Hants, 1961-3' Antiquaries Journal Vol43 p218-27
    1962-3, Medieval Archaeology Vol6-7 p321 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
    1935, Archaeological Journal Vol92 p413
    Oswald, 1934, Country Life Vol75 p458-63, 486-91
    Brakspear, 1925, Archaeological Journal Vol82 p352-6
    Clark, G.T., 1877, The Builder Vol35 p756-60 [reprinted MMA]
    Hartshorne, 1845, Proceedings of the Archaeological Institute p1-43
    King, 1776, 'Observations on antient castles' Archaeologia Vol4 p405-6 [reprinted in Munimenta Antiqua]
• Guidebooks
  • Goodall, John, 2003, Portchester Castle, Hampshire (London: English Heritage)
    Munby, J.T., 1990, Portchester Castle (London: English Heritage)
    Rigold, S.E., 1985, Portchester Castle, Hampshire (London: English Heritage)
    Renn, D.F., 1972, Portchester Castle (HMSO)
    Rigold, S.E., 1965, Portchester Castle, Hampshire (HMSO)
    Peers, 1953 [rev edn], Portchester Castle, Hampshire (HMSO)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p231-4
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/wilshireeng.html#hants12]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p208