Calshot Castle

by Jonathan Coad

Published 15 January 1991
Calshot Castle was built in 1539-40, on the end of a short shingle spit, to guard the entrance to Southampton Water. It formed part of Henry VIII's chain of coastal defences to counter the threat of invasion by the Catholic powers of Europe. In 1913 the castle became the...Read more

Dover Castle

by Jonathan Coad

Published August 1997
For over 2,000 years, fortifications on the Dover cliffs have protected this stretch of English coast closest to the continent of Europe. The castle has seen active service from 1066 to the Cold War, and its defences have grown to meet the changing demands of weapons and warfare. This...Read more

Battle Abbey and Battlefield

by Jonathan Coad

Published 15 January 2007
The Battle of Hastings, 14 October 1066, was the most famous battle fought on English soil, and its consequences are still felt after nearly 1,000 years. William the Conqueror built Battle Abbey on the exact place where King Harold died, and it thrived as a Benedictine abbey for over...Read more


Hurst Castle

by Jonathan Coad

Published 15 January 1990
Hurst Castle, low and menacing on its shingle spit, is the most powerful of the defences built to guard the western entrance to the Solent. The castle was garrisoned in the First and Second World Wars. Visitors today can see the Tudor castle (where there is an exhibition on...Read more