Calshot Castle
 Calshot Castle, Hampshire Photo © Pierre Terre, 22 June 2008 |
 Calshot Castle, Hampshire Photo © Steve Daniels, 18 April 2003 |
Calshot Castle is one
of Henry
VIII's device forts,
built on Calshot Spit
at the Solent near Fawley
to guard the entrance to Southampton
Water. Also known as a Henrician Castle, Calshot was built as
part of Henry's chain of coastal defences to defend England's coast
from foreign invasion especially during the turbulent times after
his break from the Roman Catholic Church.
It was built as a circular blockhouse with a three storey central keep in 1540 using stone from Beaulieu Abbey. The outer walls were lowered in 1774 and the gatehouse was rebuilt in order to provide more living space. The south east battery was added in 1895 but has since been demolished. The castle was in use until 1956.
It is now owned by English Heritage and visitors to the castle can park in the adjacent leisure centre car park.
References
- Fry, Plantagenet Somerset, The David & Charles Book of Castles, David & Charles, 1980. ISBN 0-7153-7976-3
