This church is of great simplicity and beauty, built in the 1120s of Isle of Wight stone by Normans. It was given by Henry 1 to a small community of Augustinian or Austin canons (monks.) Their seats in the chancel with arched recesses may still be seen. Their priory buildings that once stretched south to the Roman wall have completely disappeared. The canons moved some four miles away to Southwick for a more quiet life after some 20 years but sent a canon till the Reformation in the 1530s to serve this parish.
The Norman west door is a wonderful example of Norman stonework with a variety of patterns and other devices; it is very popular with photographers and artists. Through the Victorian vestibule into the church is the 12th Century font, carved in Caen limestone with a modern base. On this north side is a large plaque, illustrated, commemorating a grant of £400 from Queen Anne in 1710 to repair the church after its misuse by Dutch prisoners of war from the 1660s.The First World War memorial commemorated military deaths as do many other memorials, often to naval officers and their families.
The oldest ceiling in the church is Elizabethan in the North Transept and gives access to the three bells. It was Sir Thomas Cornwallis, in charge of gambling at the courts of Elizabeth and James 1, who persuaded the queen to fund a wall, blanking off the ruined South Transept and rebuilding the east wall; into this the Perpendicular style East window was inserted. The memorial glass is modern. Cornwallis was the last royal constable of the Castle and his effigy is to the right of the East window. On the South wall is an Elizabethan plaque, dated 1577, the oldest of this type in the county and a note of the royal grant.
The Church is located within the grounds of Portchester Castle, which is open to the public, although night caching is not recommended.
To find the cache answer the following:
At the notice board take note of the telephone number 02392 A7C4B2
Now walk the short distance to the Lichgate at the Stage 2 waypoint. D = Number of letters that make the carved inscription on the top of the arch.
The year the lichgate was repaired and restored 1E9F
The cache can be found at:
N50 50.ACB
W001 06.(E-B)DE
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See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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