Portchester

Portchester is a locality and suburb 6 km (4 mi) northwest of Portsmouth, England. It is part of the borough of Fareham in Hampshire. Once a small village, Portchester is now a busy part of the expanding conurbation between Portsmouth and Southampton on the A27 main thoroughfare. Its population according to the 2011 United Kingdom census was 17,789 residents.

Portchester is derived from its former Latin name Portus Adurni and the Old English suffix ceaster ("fort; fortified town"), itself derived from the Latin word “castrum.”

The fort of Portus Adurni is considered the best-preserved Roman fort north of the Alps. It is sometimes identified as the Caer Peris listed by the 9th-century History of the Britons as among the 28 cities of Britain. The medieval Portchester Castle was built within the Roman fort.

Amenities

As well as the castle, its parish church St Mary's is listed as a Grade I protected building. There are also many historic houses in Castle Street. This suburb is well placed for waterfront leisure activities, only a short distance from one of the UK's largest marinas at Port Solent, from the historic city of Portsmouth, and from the market town of Fareham.

Portchester was in the front line in the Hundred Years War, was transformed into a palace by Richard II and was later used as a prison.

The Portchester Castle museum tells the story of this eventful history and from the towers there are spectacular views over the Solent.

The great guns of the Royal Armouries Museum at Fort Nelson look out over Portchester and the Solent from their commanding position on Portsdown Hill and nearby you’ll also find the military attractions of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Southsea Castle.  

Long 50.83785 Lat -1.11497

50.83664369758243, -1.1135319179191918