Portchester Castle

Portchester Castle near Fareham represents nine centuries of military occupation spanning three distinct periods—Roman, Saxon, and Norman. The site contains the most complete set of Roman defensive walls surviving in northern Europe, built in the 3rd century to protect this strategic position at the north end of Portsmouth Harbour. Within these ancient walls rises the 100-foot tall Norman keep, added in the 12th century by medieval kings who used it for Channel crossings. Richard II later constructed a royal palace within the fortifications, and troops for the Battle of Agincourt expedition rallied here. During the Napoleonic Wars, the castle held up to 8,000 prisoners. English Heritage now manages this multilayered fortress, where visitors can climb the keep for views across the Solent.