Portchester Castle

Great illustration of the castle, by James Hair.

A beautiful and highly atmospheric Halloween snap of St. Mary's Church within the castle walls, kindly sent to us by photographer Martin Urch.

Save the date; Rain or Shine Theatre co. will return to Portchester on 31 August 2019 for a performance of Shakespeare's 'As you Like It'.
Join one of Shakespeare's most famous heroines, Rosalind, as she makes her way in a world full of power, jealousy and tyranny.
In fear for her life and in search of true love, she flees her heritage with her cousin Celia and fool Touchstone. ... Will disguising herself as a country lad lead her to a new life full of hope, laughter, and her banished father?
Keep an eye on our events listings for more info!
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Don't miss the chance to visit Spooky Portchester Castle! Halloween at the Castle carries on throughout half-term. With ghost tours, spooky games, and our infamous costume competition, you're in for a frighteningly fun day out! https://bit.ly/2NPov0C

Our Halloween Spooky Castle kicks off here from Saturday. Make sure your little horrors come in their best Halloween costume; we've got special prizes to give away to those with the most frightening attire! https://bit.ly/2NPov0C

This half-term, bring your little terrors to Portchester and join the ghost hunter on a terrifying tour of the keep. Have fun with ghostly games and creepy crafts, or take part in the Halloween costume competition. Each day we'll be giving prizes for those who scare us the most! https://bit.ly/2NPov0C

Join us for a frighteningly fun day out this half-term, as Portchester Castle turns Spooky for Halloween! https://bit.ly/2NPov0C

Big thanks to Raymond Frampton for sharing his spectacular shots of Portchester as the seasons change. Visit us this October and share your own autumn snaps with us here! https://bit.ly/2xY5qDA

We were delighted to find that the castle had inspired some GCSE students from Portchester Community School when making their artwork. Hearty congratulations on some fantastic work, and many thanks to teacher Josie Grew for sharing them with us!

Feeling brave enough to take on a haunted castle? A frighteningly fun day out awaits you at Portchester this Halloween.
Let your little horrors scare themselves silly with spooky activities and ghost hunting galore. Make your own terrifying creation to take home at our creepy-crafts tables or join our ghoulish guides on a terrifying tour of the castle keep. Take part in our Halloween costume competition; come dressed in your most frightening costume for a chance to win a fant...astic prize.
----------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------- Tickets will be available to purchase at the site on the day. Pre-booking is not necessary. There is no additional charge for this event, entry is at our normal admission prices, available via our website. English Heritage members enjoy free entry to this event.
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Hoping all who attended the Rain or Shine Theatre Co performance of Much ado About Nothing here at the castle had a great time!

We love these; Portchester, except straight out of a fairytale. 😍

Tomorrow at Portchester Castle, dig out your hampers and load up your picnic bags for Rain or Shine Theatre co.'s 20th Anniversary performance of Shakespeare's classic comedy 'Much ado about Nothing'! https://buff.ly/2vNYAQ3

Our outdoor performance of Shakespeare's Much ado about Nothing, is only a week away! From the dastardly Don John, to the daft Sergeant Dogberry, join the people of Messina as they find love, scupper mischievous plots and celebrate new found peace across the world!.

What a great visit. Haven’t been for a long time so it was good to see new things that have been highlighted. Great views from the top and loads of information. I think all 3 of us were fascinated by the graffiti going back hundreds of years. Highly recommended.

We went here yesterday and as per usual it’s a head rush of history. The views from the roof top are spectacular. One can imagine galleons sailing in the harbour. This is what made Britain Great! Thank you for sharing it.

We have been here a few times now. Mainly because when we go there is not enough places to park so we turn around and go. Love the castle and the grounds perfect sign posting we take our dog she loves walking around the grounds. Great bit of british history so very well preserved audio tour is worth every penny i dont remember it being expensive or over priced. Will continue to go here there is a tranquil atmosphere around the castle that you start to feel as you approach through the pretty village with a fantastic pub.

We had an excellent day at Porchester Castle with our grandchildren (8,7&3).

We enjoyed the large open area within the outer walls where we could picnic along with many other families without being overcrowded.

The church situated within the grounds has a tea room and toilet facilities. Within the churchyard are some interesting headstones.

The inner Castle, Royal Chambers,Constables House and spectacular Keep are well worth the entrance fee. The audio tour is excellent and was enjoyed by both adults and my two eldest grandchildren.

The keep has been well restored with interesting displays on each floor on your way to the stone spiral staircase that leads to the roof.

The views from the roof are worth the climb.

Highly recommended for an enjoyable day out.

We had a great time at PortChester Castle. Weather was glorious which helped. The audio guide in the keep (entrance fee to Keep unless English Heritage members) was excellent and 11 year old stayed interested. Very Steep climb to the top of keep but views are truly worth it. Lots of people were enjoying inside of castle (free entry) by bringing picnics and deckchairs for whole day. There is also a good playground with zip run for children a short walk from castle entrance. Two car parks were very busy but there is street parking too. Pub in the village did good food as well.

We came back for another visit on our holidays this year. The castle was even better this time due to all the new displays, which were fantastic! The amazing views from the roof and a lovely walk around the castle walls made this a very worthwhile second visit.

This was a pleasant surprise for me and my girlfriend.

The audio guides are very very useful, you have two characters one a British guardsmen the other is a very dismissive Frenchman describing the experience. The staff are lovely too even though I thought one of them was mangling a cat behind the counter but it turned out to be a small child cooing to her mother on the courtyard...... SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS.......

Spent a lovely few hours at the castle today at the open air event and wandering round the castle. Took some stunning photos from the top of the Keep - couldn't help it, the views were gorgeous.

Really interesting place to visit. Particularly liked the French Prisoners theatre and was taken by surprise when I saw how close the castle was to the water. The coffee shop was located in the church hall and sold lovely home made cakes. We had a nice afternoon.

Portchester Castle is a well run English Heritage site. There is open access for passing visitors with only the keep being ticketed. It is dog friendly, fun for all the family. The keep is impressive with adequate signage and audio tour. Lovely 360 view of Portsmouth Harbour from the top of the keep.

We enjoyed the amusing souvenirs available in the gift shop. There is good parking and an ice cream van invariably in the car park.

Best of all perhaps is the little friendly tea room in St Mary's church, super friendly staff and delicious homebaked cakes available.

Our first visit and we loved it. It is a beautiful place especially in the sun. I highly recommend using the audio information set which they offer free of charge - gives you so much information and brings it to life. We could not visit the church as there was a wedding but will definately be visiting again to see it all again

I've lived in PORTCHESTER for nearly 67 years & I still think Portchester Castle is my favourite place to be ....Love to take the Grandchildren down there for playing around football ,cricket etc , also my Granddaughter loves to watch the the weddings as much I do .... The lovely walks around the outside by the water , The keep which has so many interesting stories & exciting to visit ... Just love all the event's which so much hard work all the locals put into ... I could go on & on for hrs about this Beautiful Castle which we are so lucky to have on our Door step.... I was Christened, Confirmed , Married there, also in the choir & went to Sunday School as well ...also most of my family have done the same ....I would also like to say a very big Thank you to the very kind volunteers in the tea room , they are all so kind & happy & make Beautiful cakes , lovely ploughmans & a great pot of tea ... a big pat on the back for all your hard work ... Thank you ��� I really appreciate it which sure everyone does xxx

I moved to Portchester 2 years ago and feel privileged to have such a wonderful place on my doorstep! My husband and I take regular walks around the castle, photographing the scenery and wildlife - especially in Winter when the migratory birds come to visit. In fact we love it so much we got married on 19th May this year at St. Mary's church and had some wonderful photographs taken in the castle grounds. Totally magical :)

Amazing place with great views, allot of history and very friendly staff �

A proper castle and as a result a bit knocked about, rather than a theme park. A place for those with a love of history or just imagination. History back to the Romans and beyond. The staff are very friendly and the audio guides good. We were there with our grandchildren aged 11 and 8, it was a return visit at their request as they enjoyed it so much last year. The graveyard in the castle grounds is also a point of interest.

had a lovely day here , weather was glorious which helps, the grounds and church open to the public, with a lovely tea room in the church run by volunteers or take a picnic. The main castle which is ticketed , there is a little shop too which sells more drinks and bits , the keep is wonderful, especially if you get the talking guide , lots to see , a lot of history .There is new exhibition being created which should be interesting but it does mean one area of the keep is closed off to public , do climb to the top the views from the top are spectacular

Sunday afternoon visit, lots of room on site and areas of the castle walls to explore. We went around the s croon you need to pay for but the free audio tour is good and there's different exhibition spaces - be prepared for stairs! We couldn't find the tea room mentioned on the website, but the toilets were also not well signposted and a bit of a trek around the castle to get to. Parking is free but very popular so we had to loiter for a bit for another car to leave. Would certainly comer back - might try to find the tea room 😃

It was my first visit there and I really liked it. Would recommend going all the way to the top of the keep especially on a sunny day as the view is spectacular. The church and tea room is worth a visit . Everyone was really friendly and helpful, the only downside was the audio guide though it was free stopped working after 10minutes. Will definitely be going back.

A good castle to visit with history ranging from neolithic to Georgian times and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and Portsmouth Harbour.

What a great visit. Haven’t been for a long time so it was good to see new things that have been highlighted. Great views from the top and loads of information. I think all 3 of us were fascinated by the graffiti going back hundreds of years. Highly recommended.

We went here yesterday and as per usual it’s a head rush of history. The views from the roof top are spectacular. One can imagine galleons sailing in the harbour. This is what made Britain Great! Thank you for sharing it.

We have been here a few times now. Mainly because when we go there is not enough places to park so we turn around and go. Love the castle and the grounds perfect sign posting we take our dog she loves walking around the grounds. Great bit of british history so very well preserved audio tour is worth every penny i dont remember it being expensive or over priced. Will continue to go here there is a tranquil atmosphere around the castle that you start to feel as you approach through the pretty village with a fantastic pub.

We had an excellent day at Porchester Castle with our grandchildren (8,7&3).

We enjoyed the large open area within the outer walls where we could picnic along with many other families without being overcrowded.

The church situated within the grounds has a tea room and toilet facilities. Within the churchyard are some interesting headstones.

The inner Castle, Royal Chambers,Constables House and spectacular Keep are well worth the entrance fee. The audio tour is excellent and was enjoyed by both adults and my two eldest grandchildren.

The keep has been well restored with interesting displays on each floor on your way to the stone spiral staircase that leads to the roof.

The views from the roof are worth the climb.

Highly recommended for an enjoyable day out.

We had a great time at PortChester Castle. Weather was glorious which helped. The audio guide in the keep (entrance fee to Keep unless English Heritage members) was excellent and 11 year old stayed interested. Very Steep climb to the top of keep but views are truly worth it. Lots of people were enjoying inside of castle (free entry) by bringing picnics and deckchairs for whole day. There is also a good playground with zip run for children a short walk from castle entrance. Two car parks were very busy but there is street parking too. Pub in the village did good food as well.

We came back for another visit on our holidays this year. The castle was even better this time due to all the new displays, which were fantastic! The amazing views from the roof and a lovely walk around the castle walls made this a very worthwhile second visit.

This was a pleasant surprise for me and my girlfriend.

The audio guides are very very useful, you have two characters one a British guardsmen the other is a very dismissive Frenchman describing the experience. The staff are lovely too even though I thought one of them was mangling a cat behind the counter but it turned out to be a small child cooing to her mother on the courtyard...... SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS.......

Spent a lovely few hours at the castle today at the open air event and wandering round the castle. Took some stunning photos from the top of the Keep - couldn't help it, the views were gorgeous.

Really interesting place to visit. Particularly liked the French Prisoners theatre and was taken by surprise when I saw how close the castle was to the water. The coffee shop was located in the church hall and sold lovely home made cakes. We had a nice afternoon.

Portchester Castle is a well run English Heritage site. There is open access for passing visitors with only the keep being ticketed. It is dog friendly, fun for all the family. The keep is impressive with adequate signage and audio tour. Lovely 360 view of Portsmouth Harbour from the top of the keep.

We enjoyed the amusing souvenirs available in the gift shop. There is good parking and an ice cream van invariably in the car park.

Best of all perhaps is the little friendly tea room in St Mary's church, super friendly staff and delicious homebaked cakes available.

Our first visit and we loved it. It is a beautiful place especially in the sun. I highly recommend using the audio information set which they offer free of charge - gives you so much information and brings it to life. We could not visit the church as there was a wedding but will definately be visiting again to see it all again

I've lived in PORTCHESTER for nearly 67 years & I still think Portchester Castle is my favourite place to be ....Love to take the Grandchildren down there for playing around football ,cricket etc , also my Granddaughter loves to watch the the weddings as much I do .... The lovely walks around the outside by the water , The keep which has so many interesting stories & exciting to visit ... Just love all the event's which so much hard work all the locals put into ... I could go on & on for hrs about this Beautiful Castle which we are so lucky to have on our Door step.... I was Christened, Confirmed , Married there, also in the choir & went to Sunday School as well ...also most of my family have done the same ....I would also like to say a very big Thank you to the very kind volunteers in the tea room , they are all so kind & happy & make Beautiful cakes , lovely ploughmans & a great pot of tea ... a big pat on the back for all your hard work ... Thank you ��� I really appreciate it which sure everyone does xxx

I moved to Portchester 2 years ago and feel privileged to have such a wonderful place on my doorstep! My husband and I take regular walks around the castle, photographing the scenery and wildlife - especially in Winter when the migratory birds come to visit. In fact we love it so much we got married on 19th May this year at St. Mary's church and had some wonderful photographs taken in the castle grounds. Totally magical :)

Amazing place with great views, allot of history and very friendly staff �

A proper castle and as a result a bit knocked about, rather than a theme park. A place for those with a love of history or just imagination. History back to the Romans and beyond. The staff are very friendly and the audio guides good. We were there with our grandchildren aged 11 and 8, it was a return visit at their request as they enjoyed it so much last year. The graveyard in the castle grounds is also a point of interest.

had a lovely day here , weather was glorious which helps, the grounds and church open to the public, with a lovely tea room in the church run by volunteers or take a picnic. The main castle which is ticketed , there is a little shop too which sells more drinks and bits , the keep is wonderful, especially if you get the talking guide , lots to see , a lot of history .There is new exhibition being created which should be interesting but it does mean one area of the keep is closed off to public , do climb to the top the views from the top are spectacular

Sunday afternoon visit, lots of room on site and areas of the castle walls to explore. We went around the s croon you need to pay for but the free audio tour is good and there's different exhibition spaces - be prepared for stairs! We couldn't find the tea room mentioned on the website, but the toilets were also not well signposted and a bit of a trek around the castle to get to. Parking is free but very popular so we had to loiter for a bit for another car to leave. Would certainly comer back - might try to find the tea room 😃

It was my first visit there and I really liked it. Would recommend going all the way to the top of the keep especially on a sunny day as the view is spectacular. The church and tea room is worth a visit . Everyone was really friendly and helpful, the only downside was the audio guide though it was free stopped working after 10minutes. Will definitely be going back.

A good castle to visit with history ranging from neolithic to Georgian times and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and Portsmouth Harbour.

What a great visit. Haven’t been for a long time so it was good to see new things that have been highlighted. Great views from the top and loads of information. I think all 3 of us were fascinated by the graffiti going back hundreds of years. Highly recommended.

We went here yesterday and as per usual it’s a head rush of history. The views from the roof top are spectacular. One can imagine galleons sailing in the harbour. This is what made Britain Great! Thank you for sharing it.

We have been here a few times now. Mainly because when we go there is not enough places to park so we turn around and go. Love the castle and the grounds perfect sign posting we take our dog she loves walking around the grounds. Great bit of british history so very well preserved audio tour is worth every penny i dont remember it being expensive or over priced. Will continue to go here there is a tranquil atmosphere around the castle that you start to feel as you approach through the pretty village with a fantastic pub.

We had an excellent day at Porchester Castle with our grandchildren (8,7&3).

We enjoyed the large open area within the outer walls where we could picnic along with many other families without being overcrowded.

The church situated within the grounds has a tea room and toilet facilities. Within the churchyard are some interesting headstones.

The inner Castle, Royal Chambers,Constables House and spectacular Keep are well worth the entrance fee. The audio tour is excellent and was enjoyed by both adults and my two eldest grandchildren.

The keep has been well restored with interesting displays on each floor on your way to the stone spiral staircase that leads to the roof.

The views from the roof are worth the climb.

Highly recommended for an enjoyable day out.

We had a great time at PortChester Castle. Weather was glorious which helped. The audio guide in the keep (entrance fee to Keep unless English Heritage members) was excellent and 11 year old stayed interested. Very Steep climb to the top of keep but views are truly worth it. Lots of people were enjoying inside of castle (free entry) by bringing picnics and deckchairs for whole day. There is also a good playground with zip run for children a short walk from castle entrance. Two car parks were very busy but there is street parking too. Pub in the village did good food as well.

We came back for another visit on our holidays this year. The castle was even better this time due to all the new displays, which were fantastic! The amazing views from the roof and a lovely walk around the castle walls made this a very worthwhile second visit.

This was a pleasant surprise for me and my girlfriend.

The audio guides are very very useful, you have two characters one a British guardsmen the other is a very dismissive Frenchman describing the experience. The staff are lovely too even though I thought one of them was mangling a cat behind the counter but it turned out to be a small child cooing to her mother on the courtyard...... SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS.......

Spent a lovely few hours at the castle today at the open air event and wandering round the castle. Took some stunning photos from the top of the Keep - couldn't help it, the views were gorgeous.

Really interesting place to visit. Particularly liked the French Prisoners theatre and was taken by surprise when I saw how close the castle was to the water. The coffee shop was located in the church hall and sold lovely home made cakes. We had a nice afternoon.

Portchester Castle is a well run English Heritage site. There is open access for passing visitors with only the keep being ticketed. It is dog friendly, fun for all the family. The keep is impressive with adequate signage and audio tour. Lovely 360 view of Portsmouth Harbour from the top of the keep.

We enjoyed the amusing souvenirs available in the gift shop. There is good parking and an ice cream van invariably in the car park.

Best of all perhaps is the little friendly tea room in St Mary's church, super friendly staff and delicious homebaked cakes available.

Our first visit and we loved it. It is a beautiful place especially in the sun. I highly recommend using the audio information set which they offer free of charge - gives you so much information and brings it to life. We could not visit the church as there was a wedding but will definately be visiting again to see it all again

I've lived in PORTCHESTER for nearly 67 years & I still think Portchester Castle is my favourite place to be ....Love to take the Grandchildren down there for playing around football ,cricket etc , also my Granddaughter loves to watch the the weddings as much I do .... The lovely walks around the outside by the water , The keep which has so many interesting stories & exciting to visit ... Just love all the event's which so much hard work all the locals put into ... I could go on & on for hrs about this Beautiful Castle which we are so lucky to have on our Door step.... I was Christened, Confirmed , Married there, also in the choir & went to Sunday School as well ...also most of my family have done the same ....I would also like to say a very big Thank you to the very kind volunteers in the tea room , they are all so kind & happy & make Beautiful cakes , lovely ploughmans & a great pot of tea ... a big pat on the back for all your hard work ... Thank you ��� I really appreciate it which sure everyone does xxx

I moved to Portchester 2 years ago and feel privileged to have such a wonderful place on my doorstep! My husband and I take regular walks around the castle, photographing the scenery and wildlife - especially in Winter when the migratory birds come to visit. In fact we love it so much we got married on 19th May this year at St. Mary's church and had some wonderful photographs taken in the castle grounds. Totally magical :)

Amazing place with great views, allot of history and very friendly staff �

A proper castle and as a result a bit knocked about, rather than a theme park. A place for those with a love of history or just imagination. History back to the Romans and beyond. The staff are very friendly and the audio guides good. We were there with our grandchildren aged 11 and 8, it was a return visit at their request as they enjoyed it so much last year. The graveyard in the castle grounds is also a point of interest.

had a lovely day here , weather was glorious which helps, the grounds and church open to the public, with a lovely tea room in the church run by volunteers or take a picnic. The main castle which is ticketed , there is a little shop too which sells more drinks and bits , the keep is wonderful, especially if you get the talking guide , lots to see , a lot of history .There is new exhibition being created which should be interesting but it does mean one area of the keep is closed off to public , do climb to the top the views from the top are spectacular

Sunday afternoon visit, lots of room on site and areas of the castle walls to explore. We went around the s croon you need to pay for but the free audio tour is good and there's different exhibition spaces - be prepared for stairs! We couldn't find the tea room mentioned on the website, but the toilets were also not well signposted and a bit of a trek around the castle to get to. Parking is free but very popular so we had to loiter for a bit for another car to leave. Would certainly comer back - might try to find the tea room 😃

It was my first visit there and I really liked it. Would recommend going all the way to the top of the keep especially on a sunny day as the view is spectacular. The church and tea room is worth a visit . Everyone was really friendly and helpful, the only downside was the audio guide though it was free stopped working after 10minutes. Will definitely be going back.

A good castle to visit with history ranging from neolithic to Georgian times and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and Portsmouth Harbour.