300:
239:. Traditionally the Crown had left coastal defences to the local lords and communities, only taking a modest role in building and maintaining fortifications, and with France and the Empire in conflict with one another, maritime raids were common but an actual invasion of England seemed unlikely. Modest defences, based around simple blockhouses and towers, existed in the south-west and along the Sussex coast, with a few more impressive works in the north of England, but in general the fortifications were very limited in scale.
64:
48:
989:
71:
307:
After peace was achieved with France in 1558, military attention shifted towards the
Spanish threat to the increasingly prosperous south-west side of England. Tensions with Spain grew and invasion appeared likely in 1589, resulting in royal permission being given to reuse the stonework from the East
286:
described the building as having been intended to be a "rounde turrett", and the physical remains in the 20th century comprised a 7.3 by 4.0 metres (24.0 by 13.1 ft) stone building, with a stone enclosure to the north and a subsidiary building 15 metres (49 ft) away from the main site on
254:, the Holy Roman Emperor, and he took the annulment as a personal insult. This resulted in France and the Empire declaring an alliance against Henry in 1538, and the Pope encouraging the two countries to attack England. An invasion of England now appeared certain.
262:
Henry issued an order, called a "device", in 1539, giving instructions for the "defence of the realm in time of invasion" and the construction of forts along the
English coastline. Soon afterwards work began on the East Blockhouse in the village of
329:
has damaged the East
Blockhouse site; the north wall collapsed before 1975, and between 2010 and 2011 there was another major landslip. An archaeological survey of the blockhouse, funded by the Welsh heritage agency
287:
the south-east side. The construction work was never completed and by 1546 the walls had begun to collapse. According to Owen, the West
Blockhouse was a round tower, 20 feet (6.1 m) in diameter, with eight
670:
642:
610:
575:
519:
312:
in 1939, the East
Blockhouse was adapted for use by the British military. The interior was cleared out and a shed was built in one corner. A slit trench was dug on the north side of the building, a
1282:
1302:
308:
Blockhouse for new coastal defences, but this work was not carried out. The fort continued to decay until the 20th century. With the outbreak of the
924:
94:
354:
63:
334:, took place in 2011. The East Blockhouse is the only such defensive structure to survive in Wales and is protected under UK law as a
1292:
806:
768:
749:
211:
respectively, overlooking the sea. The East
Blockhouse was never completed, but the remains were reused as a defensive site in the
874:
Walton, Steven A. (2010). "State
Building Through Building for the State: Foreign and Domestic Expertise in Tudor Fortification".
1208:
1132:
695:
Henry VIII's
Coastal Artillery Fort at Camber Castle, Rye, East Sussex: An Archaeological Structural and Historical Investigation
1287:
844:
825:
787:
730:
702:
1157:
1147:
282:
The East
Blockhouse was constructed on a narrow headland 35 metres (115 ft) above the sea; the Elizabethan historian
251:
1024:
917:
359:
271:
harbour in
Pembrokeshire; another fortification, the West Blockhouse, was built just across the other side of the
1248:
1213:
953:
1233:
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1105:
1085:
299:
283:
272:
231:
The two blockhouses were built as a consequence of international tensions between England, France and the
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Remains of the East Blockhouse, Angle, looking out to the site of the West Blockhouse at Dale
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167:
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1223:
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47:
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1142:
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1059:
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192:
215:. The West Blockhouse was described by contemporaries as forming a round tower with
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129:
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109:
96:
316:
818:
Fortress Britain: Artillery Fortifications in the British Isles and Ireland
1187:
662:
634:
602:
567:
511:
243:
693:
Biddle, Martin; Hiller, Jonathon; Scott, Ian; Streeten, Anthony (2001).
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313:
298:
38:
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345:
was built on the same site, and there are no visible remains.
341:
The West Blockhouse was demolished in the 19th century, when
323:
position was dug out and protected with sandbags outside it.
714:
East Blockhouse, Angle: Archaeological Excavation, July 2011
761:
The Castle in England and Wales: An Interpretative History
550:
1247:
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593:
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155:
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23:
780:Henry VIII and the Development of Coastal Defence
246:to annul the long-standing marriage to his wife,
70:
223:was built on the same site in the 19th century.
782:. London, UK: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
319:formed on the east side of the building, and a
918:
839:. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
716:. Carmarthan, UK: Dyfed Archaeological Trust.
486:
484:
482:
480:
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476:
474:
8:
925:
911:
903:
461:
449:
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20:
1283:Buildings and structures in Milford Haven
250:, and remarry. Catherine was the aunt of
554:
538:
506:
377:
235:in the final years of the reign of King
370:
862:
852:
465:
429:
401:
199:were positioned on either side of the
1303:Archaeological sites in Pembrokeshire
629:
597:
502:
490:
16:Device Forts built by King Henry VIII
7:
799:Pendennis Castle and St Mawes Castle
445:
433:
413:
389:
355:Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
303:Ruins of the East Blockhouse in 1881
191:in 1539 to protect the harbour of
14:
744:. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing.
635:"East Blockhouse, Angle (103035)"
603:"East Blockhouse, Angle (103035)"
568:"East Blockhouse, Angle (103035)"
512:"East Blockhouse, Angle (103035)"
987:
801:. London, UK: English Heritage.
267:. Angle overlooked the mouth of
69:
62:
46:
763:. London, UK: Routledge Press.
725:. London, UK: Hambledon Press.
663:"West Blockhouse Fort (276037)"
242:In 1533, Henry broke with Pope
1:
1209:Devil's Point Artillery Tower
759:King, D. J. Cathcart (1991).
219:, but it was demolished when
1025:Great White Bulwark of Clay
697:. Oxford, UK: Oxbow Books.
1324:
740:Harrington, Peter (2007).
380:, p. 111; Hale, p. 63
360:List of castles in England
1068:East and West Blockhouses
985:
837:The Decline of the Castle
820:. Liphook, UK: Beaufort.
816:Saunders, Andrew (1989).
742:The Castles of Henry VIII
146:West Blockhouse destroyed
77:East and West Blockhouses
57:
45:
28:
24:East and West Blockhouses
1293:History of Pembrokeshire
1249:Yorkshire and the Humber
1214:Little Dennis Blockhouse
954:Brightlingsea Blockhouse
835:Thompson, M. W. (1987).
1106:West Tilbury Blockhouse
1086:East Tilbury Blockhouse
797:Pattison, Paul (2009).
723:Renaissance War Studies
1288:Forts in Pembrokeshire
778:Morley, B. M. (1976).
304:
273:Milford Haven Waterway
201:Milford Haven Waterway
144:East Blockhouse ruined
1234:St Catherine's Castle
302:
1091:Gravesend Blockhouse
721:Hale, J. R. (1983).
343:West Blockhouse Fort
221:West Blockhouse Fort
110:51.68213°N 5.12424°W
1153:Sharpenrode Bulwark
1030:Little Turf Bulwark
979:St Osyth Blockhouse
959:Harwich blockhouses
248:Catherine of Aragon
203:in the villages of
106: /
1158:St Andrew's Castle
1020:Great Turf Bulwark
712:Crane, P. (2012).
551:Biddle et al. 2001
392:, pp. 176–177
336:scheduled monument
305:
195:in Wales. The two
115:51.68213; -5.12424
1265:
1264:
1173:West Cowes Castle
1163:St Helens Bulwark
1133:East Cowes Castle
1101:Milton Blockhouse
1096:Higham Blockhouse
233:Holy Roman Empire
173:
172:
1315:
1229:Sandsfoot Castle
1219:Pendennis Castle
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557:, pp. 34–35
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542:
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459:
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443:
437:
436:, pp. 63–64
427:
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310:Second World War
213:Second World War
181:West Blockhouses
168:Second World War
136:Site information
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1239:St Mawes Castle
1224:Portland Castle
1204:Brownsea Castle
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1178:Yarmouth Castle
1168:Southsea Castle
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1045:Sandgate Castle
992:
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1148:Sandown Castle
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1128:Calshot Castle
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1050:Sandown Castle
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1035:Walmer Bulwark
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888:10.1086/657263
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863:|journal=
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622:
587:
559:
553:, p. 40;
543:
531:
509:, p. 42;
495:
470:
464:, p. 11;
454:
448:, p. 66;
438:
422:
416:, p. 63;
406:
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382:
369:
367:
364:
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187:built by King
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1143:Netley Castle
1141:
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1116:Isle of Wight
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1060:Pembrokeshire
1057:
1051:
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1046:
1043:
1041:
1040:Walmer Castle
1038:
1036:
1033:
1031:
1028:
1026:
1023:
1021:
1018:
1016:
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1010:Camber Castle
1008:
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829:
823:
819:
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810:
808:9781850747239
804:
800:
795:
791:
785:
781:
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772:
770:9780415003506
766:
762:
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751:9781472803801
747:
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728:
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710:
706:
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686:
672:
668:
664:
658:
655:
644:
640:
636:
632:, p. 2;
631:
626:
623:
612:
608:
604:
600:, p. 4;
599:
594:
592:
588:
577:
573:
569:
563:
560:
556:
555:Pattison 2009
552:
547:
544:
540:
539:Saunders 1989
535:
532:
521:
517:
513:
508:
507:Saunders 1989
505:, p. 2;
504:
499:
496:
492:
487:
485:
483:
481:
479:
477:
475:
471:
467:
463:
458:
455:
451:
447:
442:
439:
435:
432:, p. 7;
431:
426:
423:
419:
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410:
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403:
398:
395:
391:
386:
383:
379:
378:Thompson 1987
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278:
274:
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269:Milford Haven
266:
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249:
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193:Milford Haven
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124:
119:
91:
87:
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56:
49:
44:
40:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
1278:Device Forts
1138:Hurst Castle
1067:
964:Langar Point
934:Device Forts
882:(1): 66–84.
879:
875:
836:
817:
798:
779:
760:
741:
722:
713:
694:
687:Bibliography
674:, retrieved
666:
657:
646:, retrieved
638:
625:
614:, retrieved
606:
579:, retrieved
571:
562:
546:
541:, p. 42
534:
523:, retrieved
515:
498:
468:, p. 70
457:
441:
425:
409:
397:
385:
373:
340:
327:Land erosion
325:
306:
281:
261:
258:Construction
241:
230:
185:Device Forts
180:
176:
174:
151:Site history
18:
1308:Blockhouses
1257:Hull Castle
1015:Deal Castle
974:Mersea Fort
969:Langar Rode
493:, p. 2
466:Walton 2010
452:, p. 6
430:Morley 1976
420:, p. 5
404:, p. 7
402:Morley 1976
321:machine-gun
284:George Owen
197:blockhouses
130:Device Fort
113: /
89:Coordinates
1272:Categories
1078:The Thames
846:1854226088
827:1855120003
789:0116707771
732:0907628176
704:0904220230
630:Crane 2012
598:Crane 2012
503:Crane 2012
491:Crane 2012
366:References
237:Henry VIII
227:Background
189:Henry VIII
98:51°40′56″N
896:144384757
865:ignored (
855:cite book
446:Hale 1983
434:Hale 1983
414:Hale 1983
390:King 1991
317:embrasure
295:Later use
252:Charles V
156:Materials
141:Condition
101:5°07′27″W
1188:Cornwall
349:See also
289:gunports
244:Paul III
217:gunports
946:Suffolk
667:Coflein
639:Coflein
607:Coflein
572:Coflein
516:Coflein
1196:Dorset
1120:Solent
1002:Sussex
894:
876:Osiris
843:
824:
805:
786:
767:
748:
729:
701:
676:10 May
671:RCAHMW
648:10 May
643:RCAHMW
616:10 May
611:RCAHMW
581:10 May
576:RCAHMW
525:10 May
520:RCAHMW
164:Events
1192:Devon
942:Essex
892:S2CID
314:rifle
265:Angle
205:Angle
183:were
159:Stone
39:Wales
31:Angle
998:Kent
867:help
841:ISBN
822:ISBN
803:ISBN
784:ISBN
765:ISBN
746:ISBN
727:ISBN
699:ISBN
678:2015
650:2015
618:2015
583:2015
527:2015
332:Cadw
277:Dale
209:Dale
207:and
179:and
177:East
175:The
126:Type
35:Dale
33:and
884:doi
275:at
1274::
1194:/
1190:/
1118:/
1000:/
944:/
890:.
880:25
878:.
859::
857:}}
853:{{
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849:.
830:.
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773:.
754:.
735:.
707:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
