Portchester

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Portchester
Portchester shown within Hampshire
OS grid reference	SU6105
District	Fareham
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	FAREHAM
Postcode district	PO16 - PO17
Dialling code	023/01329
Police	Hampshire
Fire	Hampshire
Ambulance	South Central
European Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Fareham
List of places: UK • England • Hampshire

Coordinates: 50°50′N 1°07′W / 50.83, -1.12

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 ^[1] 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.

Contents 1 Famous residents 2 Transport 3 See also 4 References

[edit] Famous residents

• Emily Farmer, watercolour painter.^[2]
• Neil Gaiman, author, was born in Portchester. ^[3]

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

[edit] 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

[edit] See also

• Portchester Community School

[edit] References