Old Hampshire Mapped
Cox's Hampshire
Transcription (12)New Forest
invasion
castle
Henry VIII
Hurst Castle
Charles I
coastal defence
Calshot Castle
Caldshore
St Andrew's Castle
Netley Castle
Southampton Bay
This large Tract of Ground wherein the Forest is, lay many Ages open and unguarded, much exposed to the Invasion of foreign Enemies, which King Henry VIII. considering, resolved to build some Castles for its Defence, lest the Nation should lose more by the keeping than it had done by making it; and thereupon he built first,
Hurst Castle, in that Neck of Land, which running farthest into the Sea, makes the shortest Passage into the Isle of Wight This Castle commands the Sea on every Side, and Heath tells us in his Chronicle, that it stands a Mile and a half into the Sea, upon a Beach full of Mud, and stinking Oare at low Tides, having no fresh Water within two or three Miles of it, so cold, foggy and noisome, that the Guards cannot endure it without often shifting their Quarters.
To this Place Colonel Corbett brought King Charles I. when he took him from Colonel Hammond, Governor of the Isle of Wight; and he was kept here till Major General Harrison came to fetch him up to London, where the barbarous Tragedy of his Murther was soon finished, the Articles of Impeachment being drawn up, and the High Court of Justice (as they called it) appointed before his Removal.
In this Castle there is always a garrison, commanded in chief by a Governour, who is at present [ ]
More Westward upon the Mouth of the Stour and Avon, and on the utmost Edge of the Forest, the same King built
Calshot Castle, so called for Corruption, for Caldshore, which seems to be taken from the Saxon Name [Cerdicesora], which was in these western Parts of England, as is plain from Matthew Westminster, who says, that those Persons landed in occidentali parte Britanniae, which the Saxon Annals relate to have come a shore at [Cerdicesora]; which Conjecture, if it be true, we must remove their landing Place from Yarmouth to this Place.
Here is also a Garrison constantly kept, under the Command of the present Governour, who is [ ] By the great Distance, and the opposite Situation of the Isle of Wight, it is made a very commodious Harbour. These two Castles upon the Shore, and more inwardly the other two Castles of St. Andrew and Netley, are a perfect Security at the Entrance of the Bay of Southampton. Having thus spoken of the Castles together (which we thought most proper) we shall look back, and take a View of a Town standing between them, of considerable Note, which is
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