Portchester

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 50.83
longitude= -1.12
official_name= Portchester
shire_district = Fareham
shire_county = Hampshire
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Fareham
post_town= FAREHAM
postcode_district = PO16 - PO17
postcode_area= PO
dial_code= 023/01329
os_grid_reference= SU6105

Portchester is a small suburb to the northwest of Portsmouth, England. It is part of the borough of Fareham in Hampshire. Once a small village, Portchester is now a busy part of the expanding conurbation between Portsmouth and Southampton, on the A27 main thoroughfare. Its population according to the 2001 Census was approximately 17,000 residents.

The fort of Portus Adurni, now Portchester Castle, is arguably the finest example of a Roman fort in Western Europe and continued in use over the next sixteen centuries. The Roman walls enclose a Norman keep and a church. The name Portchester is of partly Roman origin, from Latin "portus" (a harbour) and Old English "ceaster" (Roman town or castle).

As well as the castle, its beautiful parish church [ Sunday Telegraph Issue No:2,409 12th August 2007 [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/12/nvicar112.xml] ] and the abundance of historic houses in Castle Street, this suburb is well placed for a multitude of waterfront leisure activities, being only a short distance from the UK's third largest marina at 'Port Solent' (which is home to Europe's second largest gym and health club, including a large outdoor pool) and a short journey from the historic city of Portsmouth and the market town of Fareham.

Famous residents

*Emily Farmer, watercolour painter. [B. S. Long, "Farmer, Emily (1826–1905)", rev. Charlotte Yeldham, "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33080 accessed 8 Aug 2007] ]
*Neil Gaiman, author, was born in Portchester. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/whats-fame-got-to-do-with-it/2005/07/23/1121539192285.html%3Foneclick=true What's fame got to do with it?] , Frances Atkinson, "The Age", July 24, 2005]

Steve Ridgway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Ridgway) - Chief Executive, Virgin Atlantic Airways

Transport

Rail
Portchester railway station is owned by South West Trains and has services along the coast to Southampton, Fareham, Portsmouth, Havant, Chichester and Brighton. London services to London Waterloo (via Fareham) and London Victoria (via Chichester) also stop at the station.

Bus services
First Hampshire & Dorset services to Portsmouth, Havant, Fareham, Titchfield, Locks Heath and Warsash

Road

The A27 road cuts through the centre of Portchester running east/west between Fareham and Cosham on the northern outskirts of Portsmouth. Access to the M27 motorway is via Junction 11 at Fareham or Junction 12 at Port Solent

See also

*Portchester Community School

References