A Tudor castle fit for a King proudly sits facing the Solent. Built by Henry VIII in 1544 to guard the approaches to Portsmouth Harbour it was here to his horror that Henry watched the sinking of the Tudor warship The Mary Rose.

After centuries of protecting Portsmouth and 40 years of contributing to the heritage offer of the city there is a revolution going on inside the castle walls.

Following an intensive refurbishment, Southsea Castle re-opened in May. The East wing holds a new all-weather marquee, a brides room and a bar room. A vibrant, healthy eating café is located in the West wing and has its own courtyard garden, growing its own herbs and strawberries.

You will be able to hire the entire castle for Weddings and events, or if you don’t quite need a whole castle the Keep, the marquee, a meeting room and a tranquil courtyard garden will also be available as separate areas.

The castle is open daily from May to October (except Mondays) for free and you can brave the battlements, look out over the stunning views of the Solent, explore the tunnels, study the historical artifacts, hunt for the ghost or just simply sit in the courtyard soaking up the history.

So that dog walkers can come and visit us, well behaved dogs are very welcome in the café courtyard. We have a lunchtime menu, a daily fresh juice offer, fine ales and wines, and an afternoon tea fit for a king.

For further information email info@yellowkite.org.uk or telephone  02392 837080