Former Royal Garrison Church (Domus Dei), Governor's Green, Old Portsmouth (NHLE Code 1245790) (April 2019) (1)
Garrison church, Portsmouth

Royal Garrison Church

Portsmouth

A free-to-enter medieval church in Old Portsmouth whose nave was left roofless by a 1941 air raid.

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RuinsTime here: 20–30 min

On the map

Penny Street, Portsmouth, PO1 2NJ

Quick facts

It was founded around 1210 to 1214 as part of the Domus Dei, a hospital and hostel for the poor and for travellers.

After the hospital closed in 1540 it served as an armoury and store, and in the 17th century it became the garrison's chapel.

Incendiary bombs destroyed the nave roof in 1941, leaving a graceful shell, while the roofed chancel still holds 20th-century stained glass telling the church's story.

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