Enjoy a 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.
Don’t forget, if you are looking for help with funding the cost of your trip, you can apply for a bursary!
Hero Offer: English Heritage have an exclusive offer for Great British School Trip teachers! Apply below for the chance to get a FREE Discovery Visit at Portchester Castle worth £100. Schools with 40%+FSM will be prioritised for this offer.
Looking for a bursary to support your trip?
We know that funding a school trip isn’t always easy. If you are looking for help with costs, you can apply for the Great British School Trip bursary. This can help with the cost of travel or entry tickets to any Great British School Trip partner venue.
Simply fill in our bursary form and let us know how we might help.
Book via The Great British School Trip and your school will be automatically entered into our fantastic competition! See details below.
Discovery Visits at Portchester Castle
In the footsteps of Kings
Students can go on a historical journey back in time with our costumed interpreters to explore the history and significance of Portchester Castle. Through storytelling and an interactive tour of the castle, they’ll discover why the castle was built, who lived and worked there, how Richard II and Edward II defended it and how they enjoyed a lifestyle fit for kings!
Availability: March: Monday and Friday, April to October: Monday to Friday during term time, November and December: Monday and Friday. Sessions last for 1 hour.
Prisoners at Portchester
Students will retrace the prisoner’s route as they make their way alongside the castle walls and through the Watergate to view the castle for the first time. They will see through the eyes of the prisoners and imagine the sights, smells and sounds of the castle as they consider how it would feel to be imprisoned there. Pupils will learn why the prisoners were allowed to build a theatre and how they entertained themselves, and how their plays and performances connected them to the local community.
Availability: March: Monday and Friday, April to October: Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions last for 1 hour.
History around us
Students will learn about why the theatre was created in the keep, learn about melodrama and Roseliska, the play written by the prisoners. They will even be put through their acting paces! This Discovery Visit is applicable to OCR GCSE Spec B History Around Us and covers multiple criteria.
Availability: March: Monday and Friday, April to October: Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions last for 75 minutes.
More information
Education at English Heritage
Inspire your students in the places where history really happened on a free self-led visit or an expert-led Discovery Visit workshop. The following offers are included as part of The Great British School Trip:
FREE SELF-LED VISITS
You can bring your class to any of our sites entirely free of charge. We offer free entry to pre-booked schools, as well as free planning visits to help you make the most out of your day. Use our free downloadable resources to help with your planning and risk assessment.
EXPERT-LED WORKSHOPS
Award-winning and immersive Discovery Visits are available at selected sites from just £100 per session per class. Students of all ages and abilities can meet characters from the past, role-play or handle intriguing objects.
Venue Details
Contact
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/portchester-castle/schools/
Address
Church Road, Portchester
PO16 9QW. England
Opening Hours
April-October: Monday-Sunday 10-5pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Friday November-16 December: Monday and Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Monday and Friday 17 December-28 February: Closed March: Monday and Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Monday and Friday