Sandown Castle, Isle of Wight
Sandown Castle was built as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts at Sandown on the Isle of Wight from 1544 onwards. The Device Forts, also known as Henrician Castles, were built by Henry VIII as a network of coastal defences to defend against the threat of the French and Spanish after his break from the Roman Catholic Church. Although Sandown Castle was never attacked, it was the scene of a desperate battle with French invaders who had landed at Whitecliff Bay and made their way over Culver Down amid heavy skirmishing in 1545. The French were repulsed.
It eroded away and was finally demolished before the present-day town of Sandown was established. Its site is now the Sandham Grounds public park, between Fort Street and Culver Parade, and it is said that its remains are still visible at low tide.
For its successors, see Sandown.
References
- Harrington, Peter (2007). The castles of Henry VIII. Oxford: Osprey.
- Morley, B. M. (1976). Henry VIII and the development of coastal defence. London: H.M. Stationery Office.
See also
- Henrician Castles also known as Device Forts
- Henry VIII
External links
Coordinates: 50°39′26″N 1°08′51″W / 50.65722°N 1.14750°W