castle artillery fort originally constructed henry_viii kent formed king device programme protect invasion france defended vulnerable point coast comprised central stone towers gatehouse hold tiers artillery fitted total firing points cannon taken parliament start english civil war seized royalist rebels second civil war castle extensively redesigned napoleonic wars height castle significantly reduced turned tower work completed armed pounder guns hold garrison men castle begun suffer damage sea early 17th century middle 19th century coastline reached edge castle walls high costs repair contributed government decision sell site initially bought railway company passed private ownership coastal erosion continued 1950s southern castle destroyed sea remaining castle restored peter turned private residence 21st century remains private ownership protected law grade listed building history 16th century built consequence international tensions england france final years reign king henry viii traditionally crown left coastal defences local lords communities taking modest role building maintaining fortifications france empire remained conflict maritime raids common actual invasion england unlikely modest defences based simple towers existed south west sussex coast impressive works north england general fortifications limited scale henry broke order long standing marriage wife catherine catherine aunt took personal insult resulted france empire declaring alliance henry pope encouraging countries attack england invasion england appeared certain response henry issued order called device giving instructions defence realm time invasion construction forts english coastline intended defend vulnerable point kent cliffs west enemy force potentially land way easily inland construction supervised engineer acted commissioners project initial stages work team men employed wood preparing site drawn far away somerset gloucestershire summer work including labourers pause winter months work picked summer year working castle july castle foundations rested underlying beach walls roughly laid work finer stone detailing collected local beaches suitable west east site tons stone recycled christ church recently dissolved henry total bricks produced different tiles manufactured loads lime tons coal tons timber total cost project came centre new castle circular towers north west north east south sides gatehouse north surrounded curtain walls forming triangular inner outer ward covered stone storeys high linked towers gatehouse outer ward stone north east tower linked inside castle castle entered doorway rear gatehouse originally called half moon linked covered tiers guns finished castle ground level roof total firing points cannon design closely resembling nearby deal castles completed autumn henry come castle visiting elizabeth visited fortification period married queen wishes castle reported equipped seven artillery pieces muskets bows arrows 17th 18th centuries garrison comprised captain lieutenant soldiers gunners mortar castle particularly poor begun seriously decay survey year showed castle substantially dilapidated cost proposed repairs estimated noted feet gun platform weapons built southern walls replace original southern battery report echoed problems noting sea caused southern wall collapse necessary repairs including strengthening walls projected years later amid fears war france spain castle captain reported fortification poor condition assault way fit command roads inspection team observed straightforward climb castle ruined walls rotten result artillery placed beach instead castle probably repaired seized parliamentary forces start english civil war supporters king charles parliament captain remained post war ended years peace second civil war broke parliamentary navy based kent protected castles deal royalist insurrection way county fleet joined rebellion sister castles occupied parliament defeated wider battle start june sent force command colonel rich deal castles occupied august rich sent forces prevent garrison intervening disrupt assault deal recaptured soon initially continued captain replaced resulting complaints treated owed money parliament period garrison increased include governor soldiers gunners charles_ii restored throne initially remained heart south coast defences design garrison cut pre war levels reduced men fallen poor condition assigned repair castle met partially proceeds lands confiscated supporters parliament 19th century use napoleonic wars start 19th century heavily rebuilt brigadier general surveyed south coast proposed building series new defensive towers proposed converted secure sea battery opposition delays work castle finally began project lowered height castle considerably destroying fortification process upper storeys towers covered gatehouse demolished buildings inner ward resulting rubble outer ward raising height effectively turning inner ward dry moat inner curtain wall reduced storey height outer curtain wall wall walk built remaining outer walls supported gun circular turned tower type napoleonic artillery fortification storeys tall remaining original interior walls largely survived untouched accessed floor unusual sliding supported rails floor different storeys linked spiral staircase ground floor included brick built magazine roof supported central pillar running building held single large gun north east north west towers storey tall covered turf turning rear outer ward flat southern tower reduced height storeys remained use gun platform covered corridors towers storey high linking buried towers north east north west upper storeys gatehouse rebuilt ground floor remained 16th century condition modified castle completed held pounder guns outer wall gun roof southern new castle hold garrison men castle equipped heavier artillery combination pounder pounder guns new magazine constructed comprising large brick built building divided rooms storing gunpowder specially designed powder dry exterior gun redesigned foundations surviving north east north west date coastal erosion remained problem middle century tides reached southern edge castle report stated walls undermined sea despite protective piles driven castle badly affected flooding creating stonework high costs maintaining property combined utility encouraged government sell castle company intended turn railway station sold private owners small museum created castle opened public entry price penny 20th 21st centuries coast line continued threaten severe storms undermined large parts castle time new built early 1950s southern castle entirely destroyed peter began restore ruins castle support british_army project archaeological investigations carried north east excavated revealing lower 16th century stonework tower east magazine retaining wall built support newly exposed walls created levels outer bailey higher level western covered north west tower lower eastern turned private residence new sun room built gun platform wife acquired castle boot company south eastern ltd castle protected law grade listed building 16th century books original construction written project clerk survive pages long form historian described complete building account tudor fortification
Sandgate Castle