Portchester Castle research projects

Projects

Since 2017, Kate Astbury and Abigail Coppins have been working together at Portchester Castle in Hampshire. Click on the tiles below to find out more about some of our projects. We're still doing more research so the site will be updated regularly.

Our guided tour of the site, which focuses on the prisoners of war from the Caribbean can be watched here:

A Forgotten History: Caribbean Prisoners of War at Portchester Castle

A talk we gave at the St Lucia National Trust in September 2026 is also on YouTube and will provide more context:

Saint Lucia National Trust Presents "Celebrating Legacy - The Saint Lucia Freedom Fighters of 1796"

Portchester exhibition

Art installation of a woman looking at the prow of a boat with a boy and sailor onboard

Elaine Mitchener - | Les Murs sont témoins |

Art installaton by Elaine Mitchener |Les Murs sont témoins| of metal birds suspended from a castle ceiling

Freedom and Revolution: The Ancestors

Film poster for The Ancestors featuring two women in period dress looking at the camera

SV2G

Three people looking at an old map

St Paul’s Cathedral

Saint Paul's Cathedral dome and bell tower

Photoworks

View of the keep at Portchester Castle

Garifuna delegation

Garifuna delegation in traditional dress playing music in the grounds of Portchester Castle

Shout out Loud and Discovery days

Exterior of Portchester Castle

Prisoner-of-war theatre

Kate Astbury and Actors onstage at Portchester Castle

Learning resources on the History of St Vincent

Delegation from Saint Vincent study an old map

World Reimagined

Painted globe featuring names and waves in a storm

Being Human festival

Poster for Being Human festival

Research

To learn more about the research behind these projects, click on the tiles below

Black Prisoners of war

View of the Keep, Portchester Castle

War in the Caribbean

Military map of an emplacement

Women prisoners of war

Painting of Women prisoners of war

The Revolutionary Philanthropist

Painting of a plantation

St Vincent in the late 18^th century

Eighteenth century map of Saint Vincent

St Lucia in the late 18^th century

Eighteenth century map of Saint Lucia

Prison hulks

Painting of Prison hulks

Parole Towns

Photo of period housing

Prisoner exchange

Grounds of Portchester Castle

Prisoner of war Graffiti at Portchester

Carved Graffiti at Portchester Castle

National Trust of St Lucia

Fort Rodney cannon