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Portland Castle, Dorset

 

Portland Castle is one of a chain of castles built by Henry VIII along the south coast of England ostensibly to protect the country from French and Spanish attack. To allow his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, Henry had switched the religion of England from Catholicism to Protestantism. This led to short lived fears of invasion from Catholic France and Spain. Although the threat of invasion was never serious, a huge building programme of shore line defence began in 1539. The chain of forts included Camber Castle in East Sussex, Walmer Castle, Deal Castle, and Sandown Castle in Kent, Southsea Castle, Hurst Castle, Calshott Castle and Yarmouth Castle along the Solent, and the sister fortifications of Pendennis Castle and St Mawes Castle in Cornwall. The functional appearance of these castles belies their largely symbolic role. The threat of invasion was never serious, but the effect of changing a religion was explosive, and indeed the aftershocks of the changes of the fifteenth century remain with us today, most clearly in the divisions between people in Northern Ireland. Religions are designed to hold people together and maintain hierarchy and discipline. With the change of religion and the possibility of division, perhaps the country needed to feel itself pulled together by the illusion of imminent invasion, which apparently could only be countered by the building of huge forts. The symbolism was taken further in the use of stone from demolished monasteries going into the building of the forts. The solid walls of these forts, almost all of which survive, is the physical manifestation of a struggle of ideas and beliefs. They are solid, squat and functional, and yet they have all the symbolism of the churches they were built from. They were not really built to face an external enemy. Instead they were designed to create a symbolism that would prevent divisions appearing from within.

Portland Castle has survived largely unaltered since the sixteenth century. Ironically the only time Portland Castle saw real action was not during an attempted invasion, but during the seventeenth century's English Civil War. In World War Two the castle was used in preparations for D-Day. From the castle you will be able to see a huge section from one of the Mulberry Harbours used to dock ships off the Normandy beaches. These portable harbours were floated over to Normandy in sections and used to unload supplies required for the invading Allied armies.

 

 

 

Mulberry Harbour "Phoenix" breakwater at Portland: photo by Mark Murphy. This photo is copyright free.

 

In the castle grounds there is an attractive garden, and a two hundred seat amphitheatre made from local Portland stone. The views from here are very impressive.

There are limited refreshments available from the shop. Picnics can be enjoyed in the grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening Times: The castle is closed from the beginning of November to the end of March.

From 1st April to 30th June it is open daily 10am - 5pm

From 1st July to 31st August 10am - 6pm

September 10am - 5pm

October 10am - 4pm.

 

Directions: Portland Castle is just off the A354 in Portland, Dorset. Postcode DT5 1AZ. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map centred on Portland Castle.

Access: Wheelchair access is possible to the grounds and to the lower floor, although doorways are narrow. There is an audio and photo album tour of upper floors. Adapted toilet facilities are available. Braille and tactile signs are included on all displays.

Contact:

telephone: 01305 820539

web site: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/portland-castle/