This source is what people believe Porchester Castle looked like when the Saxons took over.
I feel that the Saxons were partly to do with the hypothesis because during this period, Porchester castle was used to defend Britain from Danish invasions. However, to begin with the Saxons used Portchester Castle as a burgh, this tells us that people lived there and although the king may of lived there for safety precautions, during the Saxon period Portchester Castle was a home to some people.
Therefore I am proven to believe that the Saxons did use the castle for protection but it was also a place for people to live in peace. The hypothesis asks whether all the changes were for defence reasons. I have come to a conclusion that the Saxons fit the hypothesis, but not as much as the Romans.
The Normans 1080-1180 AD
In 1066 there was a Norman invasion of England led by William the Conqueror. The Saxon kingdom was defeated, and William became king of England. The Norman (Viking) empire included all of England, Normandy, and alot of western France.
After the Invasion of 1066 AD, one of the first things William wanted to do was to establish Norman control. This was enforced by the building of Motte and Bailey castles over the land.
Portchester was listed, in 1086, as a manor rather than a castle in the Domesday Book. It was likely that, by 1100, the inner bailey had been constructed. Another very important change that was made at this time was the construction of the keep. These changes would have made the castle a lot easier to defend and the keep with inner bailey would have provided good protection for any ‘visitors’ as the inner bailey walls would have created another obstacle for attackers and the keep would be strong.
These changes were made by William Maudit, a supporter of King William who had given him the castle. After William Maudit’s death, William’s son Robert took charge of Portchester and heightened the keep to two storeys.
I feel that most of the changes the Normans made were for defensive reasons; I believe this because the changes made by William Maudit were made to protect the castle. The reason he was protecting the castle was because he was under orders from the king. He and his men thickened the bailey walls making it harder for soldiers to attack. We also know from this that Maudit’s son took over when he died, he gave the fort more height. Because the keep was higher people could look out a long way to see any enemies incoming and it was also easier to fire weapons at; with the enemies struggling to find places that were out of sight, the defence at Portchester during this time period was strong. Therefore the reason that the Normans used Portchester and the changes they made were strictly for defence reasons.
King John 1200-1215 AD
During the period of time between 1200 and 1215 AD there were very few changes made at Portchester Castle. King John often stayed at Portchester, although it was now declining as a town, with the new navel development at Portsmouth attracting settlers and workers. During his reign, the barons revolted and a supporting French army captured the castle for a short period of time. The castle was repaired after the war, but declined in importance as a royal residence, belonging to a succession of Queens and Dowagers. It was not until the fourteenth century that major repairs and alterations were made, probably in around 1322. A new forebuilding to the Keep, portcullises to the gateways and repairs to old walls and halls were completed. King Edward II visited several times and the constable's lodgings were improved. John was known to not be very liked, but he came at a bad time as the country had been neglected by his predecessor, Richard, and he was left with no money. After English lands in Normandy had been captured by the French King, the English barons rebelled against John. This resulted in Portchester’s neglect and it was soon taken, along with Chichester and without resistance, by a French army.
The changes made by King John at this time were not made for defence, but because he wanted to use Portchester as a base for his hunting and so he would have wanted better accommodation. Therefore the changes he made were a new chamber and latrine (public toilet) was added to the base of the keep.
I feel that this time period does not agree with my hypothesis. I believe this because Portchester Castle was like a second home for king john therefore the changes he made were mostly for decorative and practical reasons, or to make Portchester look more grand and slightly more modern.
Edward II & Edward III 1320-1385AD
Edward II was the first English prince to hold the title of the Prince of Wales. Many repairs and improvements were made at Portchester during this period of time. The first change came between 1320 and 1326 when halls, chambers, walls and gates were repaired to the cost of £1100. A kitchen was added to the hall and chambers were built along the west side of the inner bailey. As well as this, the east range was divided into two, the constable’s quarters were refurbished, and a chamber was built in the north-east corner of the inner bailey.
These changes would have all been made for comfort and better living conditions. However, there were other changes made at Portchester, which would have been made for better security. These changes were that a new fore building was constructed, with a tower to control access to the keep, and that the gates were given similar portcullises and gateways.
All of these changes were made during Edward II’s reign. He was followed by Edward III, who had to face the problem of the Hundred Years War between England and France. The war lasted for 116 years in total – from 1337 to 1453. Because of this, many other changes were required to improve Portchester’s defence. A crack in the keep wall was repaired, a wall was built at the Watergate, the earthwork was improved around the outer ditch, the springalds (large mounted crossbows) were readied and ammunition was ordered for them as well as the other crossbows, a garrison of ten men-at-arms and forty archers was brought in.
Other changes were also made during Edward III’s reign as king, including the rebuilding of: the south-western hall as a two storey building, the chamber against the west curtain wall, and the east range as two rooms and probably with a tower at the north-east corner. In 1362, the hall, chamber, and bake house were improved, a new chapel was built, the keep was re-leaded, and the gatehouse was extended. He may have also heightened the keep even further during his reign, though I can find no factual evidence to support this idea. These changes were part of Edward’s ‘great building programme’ and were made to modernise Portchester and bring the castle up to date.
Then, in 1360, the castle was, again, garrisoned, as there was a threat of invasion. This happened again in 1369 when the French burned Portsmouth, making the threat of an invasion more imminent. This called for more improvements to be made concerning Portchester’s defence. The gates and walls were repaired, the Watergate was extended and a new portcullis made for it, and a round tower was constructed next to the church.
In 1376, a fortified tower, which included a suite of rooms, was constructed in the north-east corner of the inner bailey. The tower had gun ports in an enclosed gallery and gun ports in the chambers, possibly facing in all directions, therefore giving the tower all around protection. This was a new feature in castles as hand-held guns were only recently developed at that time. This tower was built by Sir Robert of Ashton and because of this is named Ashton’s Tower. This tower was probably constructed as another way of defending the castle from any attackers and would have been built because of the war with France.
I have been lead to believe that this time period agrees and disagrees with my hypothesis. I know this because I have referred to the earlier changes being concerntrated on modernising the castle, and making it more practical. However, especially from the date 1337 the castle faced things like the hundred year war that meant that people had to think about the security of the castle. It is because of these reasons that during Edward II and Edward III’s reign the castle went through a lot of change for both practical and defensive reasons.
Richard II 1396-1400AD
Many changes were made at Portchester during this period of time as the castle was turned into a miniature palace. In order for this transformation to take place, a lot of changes and alterations were required. The keep’s outer fore buildings were demolished and two-storey ranges replaced the majority of the earlier royal apartments with the main rooms on the first floor. Storerooms and lodgings were built below a kitchen, great chamber, and hall accessible by a vaulted porch with a tower over it. At one end of the hall was the great chamber leading to the king’s private chamber (along the west side), while, along the south wall of the keep, there was another chamber, which could be accessed, from the keep, by going through the chapel. As well as these changes, a chamber was built in the bastion and the parapets were rebuilt. Lastly, the Land gate was rebuilt, the Watergate was reroofed, the gatehouse was extended further, and the keep and Land gate had vaults added to them.
These changes were all ordered by Richard II in 1396. During this year he had made peace with the French, eliminating the possibility of a French invasion, and was marrying the king of France’s daughter, Isabella. This is probably the reason why he wanted the changes as he may have wished to use the castle as a home for her. Another possible reason is that he might have wanted to use Portchester as a base for future Channel crossings. No matter what the reason was, these improvements would have been made to make the castle more comfortable to live in.
I feel that the evidence from this time period does not agree with the hypothesis I feel this way because there was no need to defend Portchester castle during Richard’s reign as he had made peace with france, you could say that the reason Richard turned the castle into a palace like home was to reward him of his good deeds
The Early Tudors 1495-1545AD
At this time Portchester Castle became much less important as Portsmouth was developed as a permanent royal dockyard in 1495. This was a blow to Portchester as the castle had previously been a base for the royal fleet, which was moved to Portsmouth and near the mouth of the harbour.
The only records of repairs, after Henry VIII’s visit to the castle in 1535, are of minor ones, the main one being what was recorded as ‘a new store house for the King’s ordnance and a quay within the castle’. This addition would have been made for a place to store things when the king visited and would have had nothing to do with defence.
Because of the fear of a Catholic invasion, Henry VIII was forced to build more defences at vulnerable points in the south of England. Unfortunately for Portchester, the castle was seen as being ‘out of date’ as a defence, and was not developed in any way. Even after the French attacked Portsmouth in 1545, no efforts were made to strengthen the castle’s defences. Even though the castle was useless as a defence, it was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers involved in the French war in 1563.
During Elizabeth I’s reign, there was a threat to the country from the Spanish Armada. Even though this was so, Portchester still remained unchanged for the remainder of the sixteenth century. The threat did, however, present a reason for alterations to take place at Pevensey and Carisbrooke.
Pevensey castle had very few changes made to it, as the castle had become less important as a coastal defence. The reason for this was that the sea had receded, because the harbour had silted up, and so the site was much further from the shore. It did, however, still have defences, such as an artillery chamber and a small gun emplacement, built between 1587 and 1588. An earlier report had suggested that it was not worth repairing the damage and that the stone and lead work were being stolen by locals. When the Spanish Armada threatened the country, Pevensey was armed with just two cannons, as it was not close enough to the sea to cause any damage.
However, Carisbrooke became a scene of activity during the latter part of the sixteenth century, as many changes and improvements were made. At first, the only changes made were that it was modernised and made suitable to live in. In order to do this, the great hall was adapted and a mansion was constructed beside it. After this, the defences were strengthened and improved, as the threat of invasion became more imminent. Even after the Spanish were defeated, the castle remained alert and prepared for any more possible attacks. The changes at Carisbrooke were ordered by George Carey, second Lord Hudson and cousin to the queen. He was aided by other islanders who also feared and hated the Spanish and wished to help protect themselves.
The changes made at Portchester Castle during this time period do not agree with the hypothesis. I feel this way because the only changes were minor necessary repairs and a storage room was built.
Sir Thomas Cornwallis 1600-1610AD
The changes made at Portchester were made by a man named Sir Thomas Cornwallis. He was the last constable at the castle and was Groom Porter to Queen Elizabeth I. According to a later estimate, his adjustments and improvements cost £300.
The east half of the castle was totally transformed and upper storeys were added to the east and south-east ranges. New windows were probably put in the north range and the last additions to the gatehouse were made. There is evidence to suggest that the castle was inhabited at this period of time, as excavations have uncovered pottery from the time, household waste, and fish bones. However, a survey by John Norden in 1609, suggests that the castle was in a state of disrepair and was more trouble than it was worth. He stated that the new ranges were in need of repair and that the western half of the castle should have been stripped for the materials.
These alterations were made because the castle needed to be modernised. This was a similar case for many other castles in England at that time.
I believe that the changes do not agree with the hypothesis. I know this because the information above claims that the changes were just repairing old parts of the castle.
The 17th, 18th, and 19th centauries
From 1665 to 1667, Portchester’s keep housed prisoners of war. These people were captured during the second Dutch War. This idea came from James, Duke of York. Not only was the castle used for holding prisoners during these wars, it also held POWs during the following wars:
- The War of Spanish Succession – 1701-1712
- The War With Spain and France – 1740-1749
- The Seven Years War – 1756-1763
- The French Revolutionary War/Napoleonic War – 1793-1815
During these wars, Portchester housed French, Spanish, and some Polish prisoners. Many complaints were made by the prisoners about the poorness of the conditions. To start with, just the inner bailey was used to hold the prisoners as the outer bailey defences were very poor and would not have been secure enough to keep the prisoners in.
However, in 1745, this became too crowded and an ‘airing yard’ was constructed in the outer bailey. A later report made by Edward Gibbon, a captain in the Hampshire Militia, stated that the conditions were not very good for the prisoners but were ‘agreeable’ for the officers. Outside the gatehouse of the inner bailey was the messroom and guardhouse, and within the inner bailey were a well and pump.
When the ‘purpose-built’ prisons and the hulks were full, castles were used to handle the overflow of captives.
Hulks were large ships that had been converted from old warships. They were moored in the harbours and held prisoners when other prisons became full. During the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, barrack blocks were needed for the soldiers who were to guard the prisoners. As it had always been, the conditions for the soldiers were much better than those of the prisoners.
Eventually, all of the prisoners had been removed and, in 1814, the castle was converted into a hospital for any injured soldiers from the Duke of Wellington’s army.
The only information I can find about Carisbrooke’s use during these periods is that it was used as a prison for Charles I during the civil war. I can find no information about how Pevensey may have been used at this time.
Modern Times1900-2000AD
Around 1926, Portchester castle was restored and repaired after being given to the Office of Works. The castle walls were all repaired and the ditches were partly dug out.
The repairs were made so that the castle could be used as a tourist attraction. This was possible because people had more leisure time and could use it to visit such historical sites. The castle would not have been used during either World War one or world war two, as it would not have provided anybody with protection against any bombs or the powerful weapons that had been developed.
Some of the changes made were to add interest to the premises such as a gift shop. Also, some of the stairways were widened and given a stronger structure, for health and safety reasons; there is also a small museum with artefacts that have been discovered on the premises from previous time periods.
Carisbrooke has previously been used as a tourist attraction. Pevency, meanwhile, had several private owners before being presented to the state in 1925.
Conclusion
Overall I feel that the hypothesis, “Like most castles in the South of England, all of the changes at Portchester Castle took place because people were worried about being
attacked from abroad” Is not fully true. I feel this way because although many of the periods’ changes and events agree with the hypothesis, many others do not.
During the Roman period, the changes made at Portchester and other castles along the southern coast of Britain were defensive ones. This was also true for the latter part of the Saxon period, as they were scared of the Danish people. These two times, therefore, prove the hypothesis, as the people made the changes to Portchester and other castles to protect their land. However, there were changes made, by the Saxon settlers, which were not defensive ones. The settlers built wooden shelters within the castle walls and would have created a small community. This disagrees with the hypothesis, as these buildings would not have been defensive or military ones.
During the early part of the Normans’ reign, The changes made at Portchester and other castles were made for protection. The Normans were afraid that the Saxons, who they had won the land from, would return to battle them. This agrees with the hypothesis. These were not the only changes made during that period, though. In the later part of the Norman period, changes were made for accommodation, not defence, therefore disagreeing with the hypothesis. This was the same for the time of John’s reign, as he altered Portchester for his own, personal comfort. The changes made at other castles, at that time, were also comfort-orientated ones.
There were changes made for comfort during the reigns of Edward II and Edward III as well. These two monarchs also made changes to bring Portchester up to date and for accommodation, so this disagrees with the hypothesis. Although this is true, the two kings also made changes for defence when there was the threat of attack from France. This part of their alterations does agree with the hypothesis.
This is not the case for the changes made by Richard II who made changes at Portchester for aesthetics. No defensive changes were made at Portchester during the early Tudor period either, and the castle was used as a hospital. At other castles, though, there were changes made for protection when the Spanish Armada threatened. This part, therefore, agrees with the hypothesis.
Sir Thomas Cornwallis made changes which do not agree with the hypothesis, as he modernised the castle. Other castles in the south were also modernised, so nothing at that time agrees with the hypothesis. This is the same during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, though it was for a different reason. This time the castle was used to hold prisoners of war.
The changes to Portchester in modern times are totally different to those of the past, but still disagree with the hypothesis. The castle, as with most castles now, is used for tourism and was repaired and restored because of this.
My research tells us that during the earlier time periods of Portchester castle, the changes were made for protective reasons. However the later changes were more for comfort and tourism.
Therefore, my rewritten hypothesis is ‘the earlier time periods such as the Romans and the Saxons built on Portchester Castle for defensive reasons, however the later time periods used Portchester for comfort and educational purposes.’