Hampshire History Military Museums Winchester Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Danebury HIll Fort near Stockbridge

Danebury hill fort, near Stockbridge, has revealed evidence of some of the earliest settlements in Hampshire. The hill fort at Danebury was built 2,500 years ago and was occupied for 500 years.

When you visit the site you can see the ring of ramparts and the once hidden gateway. Danebury Hill is also an important site for wildlife. The chalk grassland contains interesting flowering species such as horseshoe vetch, field fleawort, burnt tip orchid, frog orchid, pyramidal orchid, wild thyme and agrimony. Juniper also grows here and several species of butterfly can be seen during the summer.

Danebury hill fort has been well studied over the years and you can see some of the finds excavated from the site at the Museum of the Iron Age in Andover Museum.

You can find Danebury hill fort by taking the A30 out of Stockbridge and up the hill. Turn right at the top to Danebury and you'll find it on the left after a couple of miles.

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Silchester Roman City near Basingstoke

Silchester was the location of one of the most important Roman towns in the country - Calleva Atrebatum. The site was originally an Iron Age settlement of the Atrebates tribe. When the Romans took it over they built defensive walls stretching for one and a half miles and a host of buildings inside them including an amphitheatre that could seat 4,500 spectators.

The site is unusual in that when the Romans abandoned it in the fifth century it was never used again. Therefore, archaeological investigations have been able to build up a complete picture of its development. The outline of the houses are buried underfoot but you can still see the complete circuit of the defensive walls and visit the amphitheatre. Excavations are ongoing and sometimes open to the public. Open days are organised periodically too.

You can find the site one mile east of Silchester. The site is open to the public every day during daylight hours.

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Portchester Castle near Portsmouth

Just outside Portsmouth to the west at the northern shore of Portsmouth Harbour is Portchester Castle. It is one of the most important castles along the south coast that has played a pivotal role in defending the English coastline for hundreds of years.

The Romans first built a simple fortification on the site in the third century as one of a string of castles along the south coast shores to ward off the increasingly rebellious Saxons. When it was abandoned by the Romans, the Saxons began adding to the site using the Roman walls as the fortifications with further additions in the medieval period and in the eighteenth century. The Castle was on the frontline of the Hundred Years War and was the departure point for Henry V in 1415 when he travelled to Agincourt and uncovered the Southampton Plot.

It is a fantastic example of a Roman "Saxon shore" castle and it is the only Roman stronghold in northern Europe with the original walls still standing to their full height. The original Keep is also incredibly well preserved. Today it houses an exhibition on the various uses of the castle over its 1700 year history. After King Henry VII founded the Royal Dockyard at Portsmouth, the castle lost its importance and was used to house troops in the Civil War and as a goal for prisoners of war during the Dutch and Napoleonic Wars.

You can walk around the walls and the grounds inside the castle walls free of charge. If you pay the entrance fee into the castle itself you can pick up an audio tour which has entertaining stories about different aspects of the castle including its time as a prison and the stories of ghosts that are said to haunt it! The Castle is open between March-September 10am-6pm and 10am-4pm from October to March. Portchester Castle, Hampshire PO16 9QW.

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Southsea Castle Portsmouth

Southsea Castle was built in 1544 as one of the many fortifications commissioned by King Henry VIII along the south coast of England. It was hurriedly constructed as the threat of invasions from the French was a very real concern. It is believed the King designed the castle himself. Ironically when the French arrived at the Isle of Wight for an onslaught on Portsmouth in 1545 the Mary Rose was sunk as she sailed out from Portsmouth as part of the English fleet to engage the French - right in front of the castle while Henry VIII looked on!

It was an effective military base for 400 years with the exception of one attack during the English Civil War when the Parliamentarian forces captured the castle in 1627 when it was surrendered by a rather inebriated Royalist commander the only time in its history. It was nearly demolished after an explosion in 1759 ripped the castle apart and killed seventeen men, women and children, but in 1814 it was renovated to accommodate extra guns and a larger garrison.

You can visit the castle via a tunnel built to defend the moat. The castle has also been investigated for ghosts and paranormal activity and you can book onto ghost hunts and tours - check the link right.

Open daily April - September 10.00am - 5.30pm. Southsea Castle, Clarence Esplanade, Southsea Hants PO5 3PA.

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The Great Hall and Round Table Winchester

The Great Hall is all that remains of Winchester Castle which was originally built by William the Conqueror during the Norman reign of England. The Great Hall that stands now was the largest in England and dates from the thirteenth century when the original castle's hall was replaced. The Great Hall was the first of a new kind of hall that incorporated light and fine furnishings as opposed to the older halls that had been quite Spartan in nature. The hall is typical of early English Gothic architecture with columns made of Purbeck stone from Dorset and high timbered vaulted ceilings. The walls were plastered and painted using bright colours. The Great Hall was used by the King Henry III to discuss affairs of state and to administer justice.

The Great Hall contains the fabled Round Table associated with the legend of King Arthur - well one that was made for Henry VIII in the fourteenth century! The table is 5.5 metre wide and weighs a hefty 1200 kg. It has the names of the twenty four knights including the most famous Sir Galahad and Sir Lancelot.

The Great Hall is at the top of the High Street just to the left of The Westgate. It is open everyday all year round except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Admission is free although donations help with the upkeep of the Hall.

The Great Hall, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8PJ. Tel: 01962 846476. Email: the.great.hall@hants.gov.uk

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Winchester Museums

Winchester is well off for museums. There's the City Museum which contains a wealth of artefacts covering the history in and around Winchester from prehistoric times through all the invasions of Romans, Saxons and Normans right up to recreations of nineteenth and twentieth century shops. Audio guides are available in several languages and admission is free. The museum is open daily throughout the year.

Winchester City Museum, The Square, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9ES. Tel: 01962 863 064. Email: museums@winchester.gov.uk

The Westgate is the other remaining medieval town gate. It houses a small museum above the gateway that tells of its history including its days as a debtors prison where you can still see the prisoner's graffiti on the walls. Other exhibits include a Tudor painted ceiling from Winchester College, weapons and armour. It's also a good place to visit to get panoramic views of Winchester.

The Westgate Museum, High Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9AP. Tel: 01962 869 864. Email: museums@winchester.gov.uk.

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Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

The biggest attraction in Portsmouth is the Historic Dockyard complex. Based on the Royal Navy Dockyard are a collection of museums and interactive attractions. These include the Mary Rose - the only sixteenth century warship on display in the world, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior.

HMS Victory, built in the mid 1700s, was famously led by Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. It was on-board HMS Victory that Nelson's momentous victory at the Battle of Trafalgar was planned. It was on board the Victory that Nelson famously met his end when a stray bullet hit him while he walking on deck with his captain Thomas Hardy. HMS Warrior, originally built in 1860, has been fully restored and is a fantastic sight moored in the harbour. In its day it was the most armoured ship in the fleet with its iron hull and with its steam engine was the fastest warship in the world.

The site makes a fantastic family day out. You can buy a ticket that gives you access to all the attractions on the site or just buy entrance tickets to just the attractions you want to visit. Many of the ticket prices include unlimited entry to some of the attractions for up to a year from the date of purchase. There are also several watering holes and shops to keep you amused. If you want to see more of Portsmouth's busy harbour you can pick up harbour tours that take you past the Navy's current ships HMS Ark Royal, HMS Illustrious and HMS Invincible that are based here.

Check out the link right for comprehensive information on what there is to see and do at the Historic Dockyard as well as opening times and entrance fees. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Visitor Centre, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ. Tel: 023 9272 8060

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The D-Day Museum Portsmouth

The D-Day Museum was originally opened in 1984 on the 40th anniversary of D-Day. The museum tells the story of Operation Overlord that brought victory to Britain and the allies during the Second World War. It was the largest amphibious assault in history launched at the Normandy coast on 6 June 1944 to gain a foothold in Nazi occupied France.

The Museum tells of the enormous amount of planning and subterfuge that were necessary in planning the assault to keep their actual plans from the enemy. Displays include photographs and film footage including recordings of those who survived the war and fought for the country. There are also reminiscences from local people who either were left at the Home Front or were involved in the D-Day celebrations.

The main feature of the exhibition is the Overlord Embroidery - a modern take on the Bayeux Tapestry - created as a tribute to those who fought or who made the ultimate heroic sacrifice during World War II. The embroidery was designed by artist Sandra Lawrence, is 83 metres long and took five years to complete. It depicts the progress of Operation Overlord from its origins in 1940 all the way through to its final conclusion and victory in Normandy in 1944.

The Museum is open daily (except 24-26 December). Apr-Sept10am-5.30pm. Oct-Mar 10am-5pm. D-Day Museum and Overlord Embroidery, Clarence Esplanade, Southsea PO5 3NT.

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Royal Marines Museum. Palmerston Forts Portsmouth

The Royal Marines Museum is based in Victorian buildings that were formerly the Officers' Mess of Eastney Barracks, built in the 1860s for the Royal Marine Artillery. You can find out all about the Royal Marines history from their beginnings in 1664 all the way up to the modern day where they've been involved in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Museum is open every day from 10am-5pm. Check the link right for directions and further information. Royal Marines Museum Eastney Esplanade, Southsea, Portsmouth, PO4 9PX,

With its high vantage point with views right across Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent Portsdown Hill's traditionally been an important defensive barrier. Because of this a string of fortifications were built due to worries that the French would invade and that Portsmouth was vulnerable. As a result of the 1859 Royal Commission's conclusions a series of forts were built along the south coast and Portsmouth Harbour was encircled by a series of forts. Collectively these were known as the Palmerston Forts after Lord Palmerston who instigated the Royal Commission on the Defence of the UK in 1859, with a particular concentration built to protect Portsmouth's harbour and dockyard from seaward and landward attack. The forts along Portsdown Hill were Fort Wallington, Fort Nelson, Portsmouth, Fort Southwick, Fort Widley, Fort Purbrook, Crookhorn Redoubt and Farlington Redoubt. There are also a variety of pillboxes and batteries across the hills.

Fort Nelson is open to the public and has been fully restored on a nineteen acre site. It houses a collection of 350 guns and historic canons that are part of the national collection of arms and armour. Other displays within the fort cover a variety of military stories and include Saddam Hussein's infamous "Supergun" and the trebuchet from the movie "Gladiator". Galleries in the fort trace military history and the development of artillery through thousands of years. There is a gift shop on site where you can buy toys and gifts and military related books and souvenir guides. Fort Nelson is open: Apr-Oct daily 10am 5pm. Weds 11am 5pm. Nov-Mar daily 10.30am-4pm, Weds 11.30am-4pm. Closed 24-26 December. General museum enquiries Tel: 01329 233 734. Email: fnenquiries@armouries.org.uk. Royal Armouries Museum, Fort Nelson, Portsdown Hill Road, Fareham PO17 6AN.

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Winchester Military Museums

Right next door to the Great Hall and on the former site of the Royal Castle, is Peninsula Barracks which now houses a collection of no less than six military museums!

The site has been the location of an army for 2,000 years since the Romans built an encampment here. The former Guardhouse now acts as a Visitor Centre where you can find out all about the military museums and the history of Peninsula Barracks itself. The museums tell the history and stories of the Royal Gurkhas, the cavalry regiments of The King's Royal Hussars including the Charge of the Light Brigade, The Light Infantry which has been involved in the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Gulf War, The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, The Royal Green Jackets and their role in the Battle of Waterloo and The Adjutant General's Corps.

The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum is housed in the handsome eighteenth century Georgian Serle's House and displays a collection of battalion colours, medals, paintings, uniforms and battle trophies. The Gurkha's Museum tells the 200 story of the Nepalese Gurkha's loyal and courageous service to the British Crown. The Adjutant General's Corps Museum concerns itself with the history of military policing and corrective training, education, law and of women in the Army.

Check the weblinks right for opening times and admission prices (some are free).

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