Coastal defence, Castles
Norden's Hampshire 1607
'modern' name (parish; ngr) = old name (hundred) if given
The list includes one inland castle.
Britannia
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| Coastal defence, CastlesNorden's Hampshire 1607 |
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| coastal defence |
The three legs of The Solent, Southampton Water and Spithead
were the launching pad for medieval military expeditions to
the Continent, and in due course became the main base of the
Royal Navy. The area was equally liable to attack from the
Continent, and had to be defended. This map was drawn only
a few years after the Armada. John Norden was aware of
the importance of forts along the south coast of Hampshire,
showing the 'Henry VIII' castles and others |
| castles |
BEWARE: to get back to this list after clicking on an item,
use the back button. 'modern' name (parish; ngr) = old name (hundred) if given The list includes one inland castle. |
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Calshot Castle (Fawley parish; SU488025) = Calshott cast (Newforrest Hundred) |
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Haselworth Castle (Gosport parish; SZ6198?) = Ruynes of Haselworth castle (Alverstoke and Gosport Liberties) |
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Hurst Castle (Milford-on-Sea parish; SZ3189) = Hurst castle (Christchurche Hundred) |
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Malwood Castle (Minstead parish; SU277121) = Cast of Malwood (Newforrest Hundred) |
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Netley Castle (Hound parish) = Netley cast (Titchfeild Hundred) |
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Portchester Castle (Fareham parish; SU6204) = Portchester (Portesdowne Hundred) |
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Southsea Castle (Portsmouth parish; SZ6498) = South cast (Portesdowne Hundred) |
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St Andrew's Castle (Hamble parish; SU4806?)
= S. Androw cast (Titchfeild Hundred)
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| Camden's Britannia | Camden's Britannia, in which John
Norden's map was published, includes the following notes about
coastal defence:- |
| Castles | But least the sea coast, for so long
a tract as that forrest is heere, should lie without defence all
open and exposed to the enimie, King Henrie the Eighth began
to strengthen it with forts, for, in that foreland or
promontorie shooting far into the sea: From whence we have the
shortest cut into the Isle of Wight, hee built Hurst
Castle, which commandeth sea ward every way. And more towards
the East he set up also another fortresse or blockhouse, they name
it Calshot Castle for Caldshore, to defend the entrie
of Southampton Haven, as more inwardly on the other [shore] are the
two Castles of |
| Southampton | ... the towne [Southampton]
which now is to be seene, but situate in a more commodious
place betweene two rivers: for number of houses and those faire
built much renowned, for rich inhabitants and concurse of
merchants wealthy: fenced round about with a double ditch, strong
wals, and turrets standing thicke betweene: and for defence of the
Haven a strong Castle it hath of square stone, upon a Mount cast up
to a great height, built by King Richard the Second. |
| The Solent | ... the river Hamble at a great
mouth emptieth it selfe into the Ocean. Beda calleth it Homelea,
which, as he writeth, by the lands of the Intae entreth into
Solente: for so termeth he that frith our narrow sea, that
runneth between the Isle of Wight & the maine land of Britaine: in
which the tides at set houres rushing in with great violence out of
the Ocean at both ends, and so meeting one another in the mids,
seemed so strange a matter to our men in old time, that they reckoned
it among the wonders of Britaine. |
| Portsmouth | ... the shore with curving crookes
draweth itselfe in, and the Island named Portesey maketh a great
creeke, within the more inward nooke or corner whereof
sometimes flourished Port-peris; (where, by report Vespasian landed)
An haven towne which our auncestours by a new name called
Port-chester, not of Porto the Saxon, but of the port or haven.
For, Ptolomee tearmeth it [ ], that is THE GREAT HAVEN, for
the widenesse of it, like as that Portus Magnus also in Africk,
as Plinie witnesseth. And verily there remaineth yet a great
Castell which hath a faire and spatious prospect into the
haven underneath. But when as the Ocean by with-drawing it selfe,
tooke away, by little and little the commodity of the haven,
the inhabitants flitted from thence into the Island Portsey
adjoining, which taketh in circuit much about foureteene miles,
beeing at every full sea floated round about with salt waters, out
of which they boile salt, and by a bridge that hath a
fortresse adjoining unto it, is united to the Continent. This
Island Athelflede King Eadgars wife had given to the New monasterie
of Winchester. And in it at the very gullet, or mouth where the
sea entreth in, our fore-fathers built a towne and thereupon named
it Portsmouth, that is, the mouth of the haven. A place
alwaies in time of warre well frequented, otherwise little resort
there is to it: as beeing more favourable and better effected to
Mars and Neptune, than to Mercurie, that is to warre rather than
to Traffique. A Church it hath of the old building, and an
Hospitall (Gods house they call it) founded by Peter de Rupibus,
Bishop of Winchester. Fortified it is with a wall made of timber and
the same well covered over with thicke bankes of earth: fenced with
a platforme also or mount of earth in times past on the North-east,
nere to the gate: and two block-houses at the entry of the haven made
of new heawen stone: Which being by King Edward the fourth begunne,
King Henrie the seaventh as the Inhabitants report did finish,
and strengthened the towne with a garrison. But in our rememberance,
Queene ELIZABETH at her great cost and charges so armed it (as one
would say) with new fortifications, as that now there is
nothing wanting, that a man would require in a most strong and
fenced place. And of the garrison-soldiors some keepe watch and
ward both night and day at the gates: others upon the towre of
the church, who by the ringing or sound of a bell give warning how
many horse or foote are comming, and by putting forth a banner
shewe from what quarter they come. |
References
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Saunders, A D: 1977: Hampshire Coastal Defence since the Introduction
of Artillery: Royal Archaeolgical institute:: with
excellent references Saunders, Andrew: 1997: Channel Defences: Batsford:: ISBN 0 7134 7595 1 Fox, Russell: 1991 (Nov): Portsmouth's Ramparts Revisited: Fortress: no 11: pp29-38 :: Defence of the Realm: (unpublished):: interpretive planning for Portsmouth and the surrounding area Williams-Freeman, J P: 1934: Coast of Hampshire, The: ProcHFC: 12: 218-220 Butchart, C B R: 1955: Hampshire castles: Warren and Son (Winchester, Hampshire) |
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