Portchester Castle

School Visits

With 1700 years of history, Portchester Castle covers everything from the Romans, to medieval kings, all the way to the Napoleonic Wars. Follow in their footsteps and explore its exciting and varied history.

"The children had a great day - a very informative visit"

KS2 Teacher

Curriculum Links

Portchester Castle covers multiple time periods within the history curriculum, as well as cross-curricular links across numerous subjects.

  • KS1 History: Identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different time periods; significant historical events, people and places in their own locality
  • KS2 History: The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain. Britain's settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots. A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends the pupils' chronological knowledge beyond 1066
  • KS2-3 History: A local history study
  • KS3 History: The development of church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509. Ideas, political power, industry & empire: Britain 1745-1901: the French Revolutionary wars & Napoloeonic wars
  • KS4 History: GCSE OCR Spec B: History Around Us

Free Self-Led Visits

Enjoy a free self-led visit to Portchester Castle and design your own day to suit your curriculum needs. Walk within the Roman walls, explore the ruins of Richard II's Palace and stand at the top of the Great Tower to survey the landscape. Discover the more recent history of the castle as a prison during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, when it housed up to 8,000 prisoners at any one time, including black and mixed race prisoners from the Caribbean. Download our resources at the bottom of this page for historical information and activity suggestions to support your visit.  

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Expert-led Discovery Visits

Sandford Award Winner 2023!

Immerse your class in the history of Portchester Castle. Our costumed re-enactors will lead your pupils on an award-winning Discovery Visit. At just £100 per session, they're a great way to delve deeper into the history of the castle and the people who lived there. 

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Can you identify our mystery Roman object?

Come and play history detectives with your pupils to commemorate 1900 years since construction started on Hadrian’s Wall.  Examine a special, 3D printed Roman object from our English Heritage collection and, using your historical enquiry skills, see if you can correctly guess what it is.  Visit us for free at Portchester Castle and all will be revealed!  You’ll also see the real item for yourselves.

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Plan Your Trip

We have a wide range of materials to support your visit and make school trip planning easy. You can find all our site-specific information and tools below, and further information on our what to expect page. 

Download our free resources to help you make the most out of your visit and create unique learning experiences before, during and after your trip. We also offer free planning visits once you have made a booking, plus a 20% discount on the official English Heritage guidebook for your place of choice.

Once you book your visit you’ll be sent a visit permit, which you’ll need to bring with you on the day.

Visit our bookings page to start planning your trip! 

  • Facilities
    • COURTYARD AND CASTLE GROUNDS: All outdoor areas within the castle walls will be open.
    • KEEP AND INDOOR AREAS: The castle keep and other indoor areas will be open, using a one way system monitored by members of castle staff. The castle keep roof will remain closed.
    • EXHIBITION: The castle's exhibition is open for you to enjoy.
    • PARKING: Free car park, 200m from entrance with 100 parking spaces. Disabled parking is available in the car park. There is space for 3 coaches. The car park is managed by Fareham Borough Council.
    • TOILETS: Unfortunately there are no toilets inside Portchester Castle. Public toilets, including accessible toilets, are available in the car park. These are managed by Fareham Borough Council.
    • BAG STORAGE: Waterproof boxes will be provided for pupils to store their lunch boxes in. 
    • LUNCH: You are welcome to bring a picnic and eat in the Outer Bailey, or there is a dedicated picnic area in the Inner Bailey, with picnic benches. 
    • EDUCATION ROOM: The education room is currently unavailable.

    Site Map

    Portchester Site Map

     

  • Hazard Information

    A useful tool to help with your risk assessments.

    You must meet the following ratios for leaders to students on the day of your visit when booking, and if your group is forming smaller groups while at the site:

    • Ages 4-5 (UK Reception) 1 leader for every 4 students (1:4)
    • Ages 5-7 (UK Key Stage 1) 1 leader for every 6 students (1:6)
    • Ages 7-11 (UK Key Stage 2) 1 leader for every 10 students (1:10) and
    • Ages 11-18 (UK Key Stages 3, 4, and 5) 1 leader for every 15 students (1:15)
    • For an adult learning group, consisting of individuals all over the age of 18, there are no ratios but there must be an appointed group leader
    • All ratios outlined above apply to home education groups
    • If your group consists of children aged 3 and/or 4, you must also refer to the Early Years and Foundation Stage Statutory Framework which sets out specific legal requirements for minimum ratios for this age group, to include requirements about the qualifications of the leaders
    • SEND groups must meet the minimum ratios above but may bring any additional leaders as required to adequately support their group
  • Education Site Opening Times

    We offer free self-led education visits during school term time*. From November until March we open exclusively for education groups at selected sites when booking an expert-led Discovery Visit. See our education opening times below for individual site information.

    *Free education visits are not offered on UK public holidays or during the operation of additional fee paying public events at English Heritage sites.

    • April-October: Monday-Sunday 10-5pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday
    • November-16 December: Saturday-Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Monday and Friday
    • 17 December-28 February: No bookings can be taken at the current time
    • March: Monday and Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Monday and Friday

     

     

Learning Resources

  • Portchester Castle Teachers' Kit (KS1-KS4+)

    Our Teachers’ Kits feature historical information and activity suggestions for group leaders of various subjects and key stages.

  • Performance at Portchester Castle Learning Pack (KS2-KS4)

    Explore the story of the French Prisoners and their theatre at Portchester Castle with this pack, featuring historical information and suggested activities to support learning before, during and after your visit. 

  • Portchester Castle OCR Spec B: HIstory Around Us (GCSE)

    We’ve created a site proposal form to help with your planning in conjunction with OCR.

  • Local Learning: Portchester Castle

    Discover the unique historic environment around Portchester Castle with our suggested reading, activities and video resources. 

  • Teaching Medieval History

    Use historical information, learning activities and tips from our historians, curators and educational experts to support your teaching of medieval history.

  • A Mini Guide to Castles

    ​Discover how castles developed over time with this short introduction.

  • Black Lives in Britain

    Find out more about the experiences of Caribbean prisoners of war at Portchester Castle during the Napoleonic Wars in our Black Lives in Britain resource. 

  • Portchester Castle: Recreating the Prisoners' Theatre

    Discover the story of the French Prisoners at Portchester Castle in the early 19th century with this introductory film.