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42-585: Southwick Priory or Our Lady at Southwick ( / ˈ s ʌ ð ɪ k / ) was a priory of Augustinian canons founded in Portchester Castle on Portsmouth Harbour and later transferred 2 miles (3.2 km) north to Southwick, Hampshire , England. It ceased at the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538. In 1133 Henry I founded a priory of Austin canons in the church of St. Mary , Portchester , within

84-626: A campaign in France , part of the Hundred Years' War between the two countries. While at Portchester in July a conspiracy, known as the Southampton Plot , to overthrow Henry was uncovered. It was at the castle that he arrested the conspirators: Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge , Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham , and Sir Thomas Grey . The three men were executed in early August. In

126-440: A book of the yearly rents which was not in all points made truly. Also on 22 September last we had a visitation of our house by Dr. Layton , when we had certain injunctions given us to be observed, several of which have been neglected hitherto. I send you this information in discharge of my oath of obedience, and would have done it earlier if I could have had a trusty messenger, for if my master knew of my writing he would convey away

168-483: A royal fortress than the previous period; the royal accounts provide details of the castle's condition and structure. For instance, as only small sums were spent on the keep during the royal tenure, it is assumed that it was largely complete, and in 1183 the Rolls record that there were royal apartments separate from the keep. Henry II regularly visited Portchester, and it featured in his dispute with Thomas Becket . It

210-529: Is a medieval fortress that was developed within the walls of the Roman Saxon Shore fort of Portus Adurni at Portchester , to the east of Fareham in Hampshire . The keep was probably built in the late 11th century as a baronial castle and Portchester was taken under royal control in 1154. The monarchy controlled the castle for several centuries and it was a favoured hunting lodge of King John . It

252-610: Is believed to have moved to the site in Southwick c. 1145–1153. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, the priory became a renowned centre of pilgrimage . In September 1510 Henry VIII passed through Southwick and made an offering of 6s. 8d. at Our Lady of Southwick. In 1538, shortly before the suppression, John Husee, a solicitor and servant of the Lisle family, wrote to Lord Lisle that Pilgrimage saints goeth down apace as Our Lady of Southwick,

294-416: Is open to visitors and is also used for recreation: the inner section of the castle accommodates displays and exhibits. The castle is a popular venue for school outings, while the sea wall is frequented at high tide by anglers in pursuit of flounder and bass . The castle buildings are in the care of English Heritage . Local legend states that late in his life Pontius Pilate was brought here by galley as

336-521: Is uncertain when the castle was built, although it was probably in the late 11th century. In the aftermath of the Norman Conquest , the manor of Portchester was granted to William Maudit, an associate of William the Conqueror and a powerful magnate and it was probably he who built Portchester Castle. The form of this early castle is uncertain, although Maudit was probably responsible for creating

378-576: Is unlikely that the fort was ever completely abandoned, although its use continued on a much smaller scale. A 10th-century hall and tower were discovered within the fort, suggesting it was a high-status residence during the Saxon period. In 904, Portchester came into the possession of King Edward the Elder and the fort became a burh to help defend the country against Vikings, as listed in the Burghal Hidage . It

420-640: The Middle Ages , and in England all monasteries attached to cathedral churches were known as cathedral priories. The Benedictines and their offshoots ( Cistercians and Trappists among them), the Premonstratensians , and the military orders distinguish between conventual and simple or obedientiary priories. Priory is also used to refer to the geographic headquarters of several commanderies of knights . Portchester Castle Portchester Castle

462-446: The 15th century the nearby town of Portsmouth some six miles (ten kilometres) away grew to become a significant economic centre and an important port. It took over from Portchester as a place of military importance, and the castle entered a period of decline. A survey from 1441 noted the castle was "right ruinous and feeble". Despite its state, when Margaret of Anjou , wife of Henry VI , landed in England in 1445, Portchester Castle

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504-520: The Blood of Hales, St. Saviour's and others. And Leland mentions the fame of the pilgrimage to Our Lady of Southwick. By the dissolution, the priory still holding Preston Candover had gained: Several of the manors of Southwick Priory and Breamore Priory were included in the dower lands of Anne of Cleves in 1540. In 1535, the Valor Ecclesiasticus estimated the annual value (net income) of

546-600: The Thistlethwaite family. The castle did not witness fighting during the English Civil War , though for a short time in 1644 it was garrisoned by Parliamentarian dragoons . One of the roles castles commonly filled was that of a prison. From the late 17th century onwards this became Portchester's most important function. In 1665, 500 prisoners from the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665–1667) were held at

588-673: The bedchamber of the keeper. Instead of her usual sweet perfumes the chamber was freshened with rue and hyssop . By 1603 the castle was in a fit state for Elizabeth to hold court there. Sir Thomas Cornwallis was made constable and remodelled the buildings along the eastern side of the inner bailey. A royal survey from 1609 documents the castle's improved condition, noting that the buildings built by Cornwallis contained "four fair lodging chambers above and as many rooms for office below". The castle passed out of royal control in 1632 when Charles I sold it to Sir William Uvedale . Since then, Portchester Castle has passed through his successors,

630-487: The campaign that ended in victory at the Battle of Crécy . Further work was carried out in the 1350s and 1360s when the domestic buildings within the castle were reordered and the sea wall repaired. Between 1396 and 1399 the royal apartments that stand today, albeit in a ruined state, were built for Richard II under master mason Walter Walton. In 1415, King Henry V was making preparations at Portchester Castle for

672-399: The castle acted as a military hospital for those involved in the conflict with France. With relations with Spain worsening, Elizabeth I made Portchester Castle ready for war, anticipating a Spanish invasion. At that time Henry Radcliffe future Earl of Sussex, was Constable. On 30 August 1591 Elizabeth came to the castle, but the floors of the state chambers were rotten, and she had dinner in

714-423: The castle was still unrecorded in this period, it was probably at this point that it was rebuilt in stone. The evidence for this is that the stonework of the castle is similar to that of St Mary's parish church, which was built in the 1130s in the outer bailey. The church was built for an Augustinian priory which Pont de l'Arche established within the castle in 1128. Other buildings would have been planned for

756-420: The castle, or Henry Maudit, William de l'Arche's son. The earliest extant reference to the castle is in a grant from 1153 in which Henry Plantagenet , later King Henry II granted the castle to Henry Maudit. Regardless, when Henry ascended to the throne in 1154 he took over possession of Portchester Castle. It would remain in royal control for several centuries. More records survive from the castle's period as

798-620: The castle. Some were housed in the church in the outer bailey. They damaged the building by setting it on fire. The church was not repaired until some 40 years later. Between 1702 and 1712 the Crown leased Portchester Castle from the Uvedales to incarcerate prisoners from the War of the Spanish Succession . The first detailed accounts of the prisoners' conditions come from the middle of the century. It

840-449: The death of John White in the following year. The church of St Mary at Portchester survives, inside the Roman wall of Porchester Castle , returned to parochial use. It is substantially a Norman building, and hence the one the priory originally used. No trace of the conventual buildings survive above ground except for some drain openings and the marks of the abutment of the cloister against

882-405: The house. On the death of John White in 1567 the manor passed to his son and heir Edward. In 1580 Edward died, leaving a son and heir, John, White (d. 1606). Elizabeth I stayed on 30 August 1591 and rode to Portchester Castle the next day. In 1606 John White settled the manor on his daughter and co-heir Honor on her marriage with Sir Daniel Norton, and they came into possession of the manor on

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924-472: The inner ward in the north-west corner of the fort. At this point it would probably have been defended by a wooden palisade and a moat, with the original Roman stone walls of the fort acting as the defence of the outer bailey . Maudit died in about 1100, and his property passed onto his son, Robert Maudit. He died in 1120, and a few years later the family estates came into the hands of William Pont de l'Arche through marriage to Robert Maudit's daughter. Although

966-520: The inner ward were remodelled and the outer gatehouses extended. Despite the expensive work undertaken by Edward II, a survey of 1335 recorded that many of the castle's buildings were in a ruinous state, and the south wall of the Roman fort had been damaged by the sea. Although he infrequently stayed at Portchester, in June 1346 Edward III assembled his 15,000 strong army there before leaving for France on

1008-576: The instructions of emperor Diocletian between 285 and 290. It was one of several forts built along the British coast in the period to combat raids by pirates. Portchester was probably a base from which the Classis Britannica , the Roman fleet defending Britain, operated. It is the best preserved Roman fort north of the Alps. Although the Roman army retreated from Britain in the early 5th century, it

1050-637: The monastery itself was headed by a prior. Priories first came to existence as subsidiaries to the Abbey of Cluny . Many new houses were formed that were all subservient to the abbey of Cluny and called Priories. As such, the priory came to represent the Benedictine ideals espoused by the Cluniac reforms as smaller, lesser houses of Benedictines of Cluny. There were likewise many conventual priories in Germany and Italy during

1092-405: The plate, money and jewels in his keeping. A letter to Lord Lisle of 16 March 1538 stated that the priory was to be suppressed, and that 'Our Lady of Southwick' was taken down. On 7 April 1538 the surrender was signed by the prior, William Norton, and twelve of the canons. James Gunwyn's signature is next to the prior's. Prior Norton received the large pension of £66 13s. 4d. The priory came into

1134-577: The pope to annul it. As a result, his opponents were excommunicated in September. At this point, he laid siege to Rochester Castle and the rebels turned to France for help. The barons offered the throne to Prince Louis , the oldest son of the French king. Louis' campaign was initially successful and he captured London and Winchester before Portchester Castle surrendered to his forces in June 1216. John died on 19 October 1216, and nine days later his eldest son

1176-454: The possession of John White, a servant of Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton . He pulled down the church and converted the prior's lodgings and other parts of the conventual buildings into a private house, known as Southwick Park, which became the family seat of one branch of the Norton family. In October 1551, Mary of Guise Regent of Scotland and mother of Mary, Queen of Scots stayed in

1218-556: The priory as £257 4s. 4d (equivalent to £198,376 in 2023). But one of the canons, James Gunwyn, wrote to Thomas Cromwell on 20 January 1536 claiming: We are bound by the will of William Wykeham to have daily five masses in our church, which have not been said for more than forty years. On 26 May last the Commissioners sat in our place to ascertain the yearly value of our lands, that a tenth part might be assessed according to Act of Parliament, when my master (the prior) delivered them

1260-460: The priory church may survive transferred and reset in the parish church of St James, Southwick. The contiguous estate at Southwick is still intact and is formally referred to as the Southwick Estate. Priory In pre-Reformation England , if an abbey church was raised to cathedral status, the abbey became a cathedral priory. The bishop , in effect, took the place of the abbot, and

1302-455: The priory, although almost no trace of them survives. As the community moved to a new site at Southwick between 1147 and 1150, the buildings may never have been completed. William Pont de l'Arche probably retained possession of Portchester Castle until his death in 1148, although who inherited it is uncertain. It may have passed to William Maudit, a descendant of the Maudit who most likely founded

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1344-557: The south wall of the nave . The house that used materials from the priory was burnt down in 1750 and salvaged for scrap masonry. The site has been occupied since 1838 by Southwick House , which has been home to the Defence School of Policing and Guarding since 2005, and the regimental headquarters of the Royal Military Police since 2007. Of the priory itself, one section of wall and some earthworks survive. Some remnants of

1386-418: The walls of Portchester Castle . The foundation charter gave to the canons the church of Portchester, timber for fencing, building and fuel, common pasture in the wood of Hingsdon ; the large manor of Candover ; and a hide of land in 'each of' Southwick and Applestead . By the early part of the thirteenth century, the priory is referred to in charters (held at Lambeth Palace ) as Southwick Priory and it

1428-482: The year. The Norman church, St. Mary's, which stands in the south-east corner of the grounds, falls within the Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth . The strategic importance of Portchester has been recognised since at least the 3rd century when a Roman fort was established on the site. Though it is uncertain exactly when the fort was constructed, it is thought that it was built by Marcus Aurelius Carausius on

1470-466: Was a frequent departure point for troops on campaign. For most of the century little attention was paid to the castle's defences, however towards the end of the century a wooden tower was built to reinforce the eastern Roman wall. During the reign of Edward II (1307–1327), a French invasion was anticipated and Portchester garrisoned. The Crown spent more than £1,100 repairing and reinforcing Portchester Castle between 1320 and 1326. The buildings of

1512-529: Was besieged and captured by the French in 1216 before permanently returning to English control shortly thereafter. Occupying a commanding position at the head of Portsmouth Harbour , in the medieval period Portchester was an important port. The castle saw the embarkation for several campaigns to France led by England's kings. In anticipation of a French invasion during the first quarter of the 14th century, Edward II spent £1,100 repairing and reinforcing Portchester Castle. A plot to overthrow Henry V

1554-594: Was crowned King Henry . Louis' fortunes took a turn for the worse, and Portchester Castle was recaptured in the spring of 1217. There was a stalemate between Henry III and Louis until the English victory at the Battle of Lincoln on 20 May. After his supply lines with France were cut in August, Louis was bribed to leave England. Henry tried to recapture Normandy , which was lost by his predecessor, until conditions in England forced him to abandon them in 1259, and Portchester

1596-485: Was discovered and the culprits apprehended at Portchester; this event features in Shakespeare's play, Henry V . Later in its history, the castle was used as a prison. Today Portchester Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument , and a Grade I listed building . The castle has been in the ownership of the Southwick Estate since the 17th century but is managed by English Heritage and open to visitors throughout

1638-647: Was here that Henry met with the Bishop of Évreux who spoke on Becket's behalf. The castle was also used as a prison for important people, such as the Earl of Leicester . When Henry II's sons rebelled against him with the support of some leading barons in the Revolt of 1173–1174 , Portchester was made ready for war. In preparation to defend the castle, catapults were made and it was garrisoned with ten knights , later increased to 20. King John often stayed at Portchester Castle and

1680-530: Was last used in the 19th century as a gaol for over 7,000 French prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars . Hospital Lane (formerly Seagates Lane), which flanks the western side of the castle, was the location of the prison hospital which survives today as Portchester House, a private residence. Those that died in captivity were often buried in what are now tidal mudflats to the south of the castle, their remains occasionally disturbed by storms. Today Portchester Castle

1722-462: Was selected as her port of arrival. The castle was allowed to continue to languish until the last decade of the century attempts were made to repair the castle's buildings. When Henry VIII visited with Queen Anne Boleyn in 1535 October, it was the first time in over a century that the reigning monarch had been to the castle. Between October 1562 and June 1563, the English occupied the port of Le Havre on France's northern coast. During this period

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1764-511: Was there when he heard of the Loss of Normandy in 1204. The Forest of Bere was nearby, making Portchester a popular place for the king to stay recreationally. Portchester was also the departure point of missions to France in 1205 and 1213 as John tried to recover Normandy from Philip Augustus , the King of France. John's trips to France ended in defeat. After sealing Magna Carta in 1215, John appealed to

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