Southsea Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Palschyd's bulwark

In the civil parish of Portsmouth.
In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Portsmouth; City of, 1974 county of Hampshire).

Built 1544 during the reign of Henry VIll as part of a comprehensive scheme of coastal defences against Franco-Spanish invasion. Possibly on site of earlier artillery bastion called Palschyd's bulwark. The keep is a square tower occupying the centre of the castle, a Tudor gun port remains on the first floor. The castle is complete with stone carponier, counter scarp gallery, dry moat and bridge. Enlarged in 1814 to garrison 200 men(As military prison according to PastScape). Had artillery in situ until 1956.

This site has been described as a;
Artillery Fort.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SZ64349801

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 462011

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 19012

• Web site links
  • http://www.hants.gov.uk/leisure/navdef/southsea/index.htm
    http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/entries/v11p170e07.html
    http://www.southseacastle.co.uk/
    http://www.fortsiloso.com/underground/southsea.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p54
    Saunders, Andrew, 1997, Channel Defences (London; Batsford/English Heritage) p47, 50, 57, 62, 119
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p91
    Barron, W.G., 1985, The Castles of Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Paul Cave) p47-9
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p193
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) p557-63
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p300
    Morley, B.M., 1976, Henry VIII and the Development of Coastal Defence (London) p21, 35
    Pevsner, N., and Lloyd, D., 1967. The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (London, Penguin) p426-8
    Lilley, 1923, Early Portsmouth Defences (Portsmouth) p6, 9, 11-14, 38-9
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Page, Wm (ed), 1908, VCH, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol3 p190
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p213-14
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol8 p78-80
• Journal Articles
  • Kenyon, J.R., 1981, 'The defences of Southsea Castle and Portsmouth in 1623' Hants. Field Club and Arch Socy. Vol37 p13-21
    Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p220
    Corney, 1966, Archaeological Journal Vol123 p145-6, 148, 155, 196-8
    
• Guidebooks
  • Corney, 1967, Guide Book (Portsmouth