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Dating back to the Romans and maintains its impressive size till this day, Portchester castle will amaze all who visit it. Its walls (the best preserved Roman walls North of the Alps) stretch for hundreds of metres, and the Norman fort houses some wonderful treasures to be discovered, as well as a view unrivalled in the area.
Filmed: March 2022
Music: Vindsvept, fantasy music - • The Wind will Carry us...
Entry: Grounds are free - Tower is Paid
---- Short History ----
- A Roman fort (Portus Adurni) was first constructed on the site around the 3rd century.
- Portchester was probably the base for the Classis Britannica, the Roman fleet defending Britain.
- The castle itself was probably built in the late 11th century, after the Norman conquest and probably by William Maudit.
- It was likely that he built the inner ward, and the Roman walls formed the outer bailey.
- This would have been wooden structures with the moat surrounding them.
- It wasn’t until the 1130s that it would be rebuilt with stone. Though, it is unsure if this was completed.
- When King Henry II ascended the throne (1154) he took over possession of the castle, and it would remain under royal control for centuries.
- Several royal apartments were present, separate from the keep.
- And parts of it were used as a prison for important people, such as the Earl of Leicester.
- When Normandy was lost in 1204, King John used Portchester as the departure point in his campaigns to reclaim it.
- The forest of Bere is nearby which made the castle ideal for recreational hunting.
- After King John requested the Magna Carta be annulled, his opponents were excommunicated by the Pope. He then laid siege to Rochester Castle and the rebels turned to France for help.
- Prince Louis of France was promised the throne and captured London, Winchester and Portchester.
- When King John died, his son was crowned King Henry III and soon after Portchester was recaptured.
- In the 1320s, King Edward II spent £1,100 on reinforcing and garrisoning the castle in anticipation of a French attack.
- Although it was already in a ruinous state, King Edward assembled his 15,000 strong army before departing on his successful campaign to Normandy.
- In the mid and late 14th century, the sea wall was repaired, more domestic buildings were added and the royal apartments that we see today were erected.
- In the 15th century, the nearby Portsmouth was becoming a significant economic centre.
- It took over militarily from Portchester and the castle became its period of decline.
- In 1535, King Henry VIII, the first royal in a century, visited the castle with Anne Boleyn.
- In the mid 16th century, the castle acted as a military hospital for those in conflict in Northern France.
- And when tensions rose with Spain, Queen Elizabeth I made the castle ready for war.
- In 1591, Elizabeth I came to the castle, but it was not suitable for a royal.
- But by 1603, it was finally fit, and Elizabeth I held court there.
- In 1632, King Charles I sold it to Sir William Uvedale, ending the Crowns hold on it.
- Since then, Portchester Castle has passed through his successors, the Thistlethwaite family.
- Its most important role from the late 17th century was that of a prison.
- 500 prisoners of the Second Anglo-Dutch War were held here.
- It was last used in the 19th century as a gaol (jail) for over 7,000 French prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars.
#Portchester #Castle #History #Portsmouth #Navy
---- Further Reading ----
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portche...
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25 мар 2022
