HURST CASTLE

ABOUT THIS MONUMENT

+ / -

EH Visitor Information
Related Monuments
Related Text
Investigation History

More Pictures
Modern Map
Old Map
Aerial Photograph

Monument Types
Sources
Thesaurus
Description

DESCRIPTION

+ / -

A Henrician artillery castle built between 1541 and 1544 by Henry VIII as part of his network of coastal defences to protect against French and Spanish invasion. Hurst Castle was established to defend the important Needles Passage at the western entrance of the Solent and was designed to withstand both sea and land attack. During the civil war the castle was occupied by parliamentary forces and in 1648 Charles I was held prisoner in the castle. The castle was repaired between 1673 and 1675. The tower was rebuilt around 1805 during the Napoleonic wars, and in the 1850s the castle's dock was built as well as the West Battery (1852). The castle was refortified during further hostilities between England and France in the 1860s, and two large wing batteries were built to house 30 heavy guns. A number of lighthouses were also established at Hurst and represent an important evolution of historical navigation lighting at Hurst which dates from 1786.
The castle continued to be repaired and refortified in the 1890s, and a coastal battery was built in 1893. Soldiers were stationed at Hurst Castle during the Second World War, and wall paintings have been found in the west wing battery which was used as a theatre.

The original Henrician artillery castle had a much more advanced design than the other castles built in this first phase of coastal defences. It was a twelve-sided tower surrounded by a geometric curtain wall with three projecting semi-circular bastions. All of these defences were surrounded by a moat. The castle had various firing lines and was equipped with embrasures for over 70 weapons. The most important repairs to the castle were made in the 1860s when two wing batteries were added. These were designed to house 30 heavy guns and each casemate was built of brick with granite faced elevations to the sea.

PICTURES

+ / -

DETAIL

+ / -

MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

+ / -

SZ 3180 8974: Hurst Castle (NR) (1)

A major work of coastal fortification, Hurst Castle was begun in 1541 and finished in 1544. It comprises a central twelve sided tower surrounded by a curtain wall on which are three semi circular bastions. The castle originally had a total of 24 gun ports at ground and moat level. It is probable that some more gun positions were made in the roof of the central tower and the bastions. During the civil war the castle was occupied by parliamentary forces. In 1648 Charles I was held prisoner in the castle. Repairs were made to the castle between 1673 and 1675.

The tower was rebuilt around 1805 as part of the improvement of coastal defences during the Napoleonic wars. At some point in the early 19th century the moat was backfilled and a Caponier built to defend the dry ditch that was left. Considerable alterations were carried out in the late 19th century. In 1873 the space between the tower, curtain wall and bastions was filled with earth and concrete. At the same time a new east wing was built and a new entrance to the castle was driven through the north east bastion. Around 1889 the magazine roof was reinforced with more concrete and the tower roof was adapted for modern gun mountings. The staircases and rooms within the tower were also rebuilt. The castle was retained by the War Office until 1933 and then handed over to the Ministry Of Works. During the Second World War it was reoccupied by the army. (2)

Hurst Castle is in good condition and open to the public. (3)

Detailed information on the castle can be found in this source. This source covers the establishment of lighthouses at Hurst, including the two lighthouses which were built in the west wing of the castle. The earlier one was built into the rear wall in 1865 and was superseded by the adjacent iron lighthouse in 1911. These, together with the High Light, the free standing lighthouse built on the end of the spit between 1865 and 1867, represent surviving elements of a history of navigation lighting at Hurst which dates from 1786. (4)

Please refer to these sources for additional references. (5-7)

Listed by Cathcart King. (8)

A detailed description of the castle's history from 1540-1660 can be found in this source. (9)

Please refer to this source for and additional reference. (10)

Wall Painting located in the west wing battery, which had been designated a theatre by the soldiers stationed there during the Second World War. The wall painting appears to serve as a stage backdrop and depicts a kneeling male figure, hat held to his chest, who addresses a female figure in a dress which would appear to be of the Stuart period. Perhaps a reference to when Charles I was imprisoned at Hurst. The painting uses limited blocks colour and is simply executed; perhaps a stencil. It is likely the design was copied from a contemporary source such as a magazine. (11)

An advanced castle design with various firing levels. It was originally a twelve-sided tower with geometric curtain wall and three semi-circular bastions, surrounded by a moat crossed by a bridge. There are three building levels: basement, ground floor and first floor, which was at the same level as the parapet of two of the three bastions. The third bastion had a higher level. The castle had six tiers with embrasures or gun-ports, six flankers at the level of the moat and18 casements on the ground level. There were 11 embrasures in the curtain wall parapet, ten in the two lower bastions and six in the third taller bastion. The keep had eight gun-ports at the level of the parapets of two of the three bastions and twelve embrasures on the roof. (12)

One of the most advanced Henrician artillery forts built. It was also used as a prison for important 17th century captives and was later reinforced in the 19th and 20th centuries. (13)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) General reference

Ministry of Works. 1949. Hurst Castle Guide

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

22/05/1969

(4) Scheduled Monument Notification

11/07/1997

(5) by J G Coad 1985 Hurst Castle, Hampshire

(6) by J G Coad 1985 Hurst Castle: the evolution of a Tudor fortress 1790-1945

Post-medieval archaeology : the journal of the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeologyvol 1 (1967) -

(7) by J G Coad 1990 Hurst Castle, Hampshire [official guide]

( 8) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

1 Page(s)191

(9) by H M Colvin ... [et al] 1982 The history of the King's Works, volume 4 : 1485-1660 (Part 2)

Page(s)539-44

(10) Fortress Study Group Fort : the international journal of fortification and military architecture

13, 1985 Page(s)81-2

(11) Caroline Babington, Tracy Manning and Sophie Stewart 1999 Our painted past : wall paintings of English Heritage

(12) Harrington, Peter 2007 The Castles of Henry VIII

Page(s)25, 55

(13) 2009 English Heritage Visitor Handbook 2009/10

Page(s)65

RELATED MONUMENTS

+ / -

Monument Name/No

Resources

Description

HURST CASTLE BATTERY
MILFORD ON SEA

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

A coastal battery situated within a 19th century fort, located east of Hurst Castle. By December 1902 the battery was armed with three 12-pounder and ...

MONUMENT TYPES

+ / -

COMMENTS

+ / -

Please help us keep our information accurate let us know if you see any errors on this page.

Further information about monuments may be obtained by contacting NMR Enquiry and Research Services , through the English Heritage website.

EH Prints
English Heritage
Heritage Explorer
Heritage Gateway
Images of England
NMR
ViewFinder