Trip to Porchester Castle 20th May
Despite the damp start to the day – there was a good turnout for our trip to Porchester.
There were some amazing houses of many different styles and periods to admire, in the short walk down Castle Street from the bus stop, I think we would have missed these had we been in a car!
We had coffee delicious home-made cakes and scones at St Mary’s Tearooms – our reserved area was actually in the church, so we were able to look around afterwards, with help from the churchwarden. 
St Marys is a Norman church built in the 1120s of Isle of Wight stone for a community of Augustian monks from France. 
Porchester Castle is an English Heritage site, originally built in the late 3rd century, it is the most impressive and best preserved of the ‘Saxon shore’ forts. Most of us walked around the outside of the castle or along the front; although an intrepid couple did venture up the winding spiral stairs 
of the keep – where you can see exactly why the castle’s commanding location has made it a major factor in the Solent's defences for hundreds of years – the views are amazing and far reaching. 
We had a very tasty, sociable and long lunch together at the Cormorant, which is just a stone’s throw from the castle; before returning home or scouring for bargains in Porchester’s excellent charity shops.