Old Hampshire Mapped
Leland's Hampshire 1635-43
Transcription (31)Round Tower
harbour chain
Henri Grace de Dieu
fortification
Portchester Castle
Thingges that I notid on the este side of Portesmuth Haven.
The land heere rennith farther by a great way strait into the se by south est from the haven mouth then it dooth at the weste poynte.
There is at this point of the haven Portesmuth toun, and a great round tourre almost doble in quantite and strenkith to that that is on the west side of the haven right agayn it: and heere is a might[y] chaine of yren to draw from tourre to towrre.
Minns:- The mouth of the harbour was defended, as was the case at Plymouth and Dartmouth, by a chain stretched between two towers, begun by Edward IV. and finished by Henry VII.
About a quarter of a mile above this tower is a great dok for shippes, and yn this dok lyith yet part of the rybbes of the Henry Grace of Dieu, one of the biggest shippes that hath been made in hominum memoria.
Minns:- The Henri Grace a Dieu, a great ship built at Erith, which conveyed Henry VIII. from Dover to the 'Field of the Cloth of Gold.'
There be above this dok 2. crekes in this part of the haven.
The castelle of Portchester standith a 3. miles by water from Portesmuth toune.
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