Deal Castle

Deal Castle lies in the town of the same name, in the county of Kent in England.

In 1533 Henry VIII of England broke with Pope Paul III in order to annul the long-standing marriage to his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and be able to remarry. Catherine was closely related to King Charles V of Spain, who took the annulment as a personal insult. As a consequence, France and Spain declared an alliance against Henry in 1538, and the Pope encouraged the two countries to attack England.

As an invasion of England then appeared certain, Henry issued an order to build a chain of fortifications along the English coast to counter this threat. So, between 1539 and 1547 a total of 17 castles were built, aided by earthwork fortifications. Deal was one of those castles, as were Sandgate and Walmer castles. As Henry's order was called a "device", the castles are also known as Device Forts or Henrician castles.

Deal Castle was built, near the beachfront, between 1539 and 1540 to defend the strategically important Downs anchorage off the English coast, together with Walmer Castle to the south and the (no longer existing) Sandown Castle to the north. The moated castle consisted of a low circular keep surrounded by 6 inner and 6 outer bastions, all roughly semicircular, and had 66 firing positions for artillery.

Eventually the invasion threat passed. By the early 17th century the castle suffered damage from the sea due to coastal erosion. During the Second English Civil War in 1648, it was seized by pro-Royalist insurgents and was only retaken by Parliamentary forces after several months' fighting, which left the castle severely damaged.

Although it remained armed, Deal Castle was adapted during the 18th and 19th centuries to form a more suitable residence for the castle's captain, which was by now an honorary position. In 1904, the War Office concluded that the castle no longer had any defensive value and it was opened to the public when the captain was not in residence.

Early in WW II the captain's quarters were destroyed by German bombing and the castle became an observation post for an artillery battery placed along the shore line. After the war the castle was not brought back into use as a residence and was restored by the government during the 1950s to form a tourist attraction.

At present Deal Castle can be visited for a fee. A very nice castle, worth your visit, especially together with nearby Walmer Castle.

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Deal Castle

Deal Castle lies in the town of the same name, in the county of Kent in England.

In 1533 Henry VIII of England broke with Pope Paul III in order to annul the long-standing marriage to his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and be able to remarry. Catherine was closely related to King Charles V of Spain, who took the annulment as a personal insult. As a consequence, France and Spain declared an alliance against Henry in 1538, and the Pope encouraged the two countries to attack England.

As an invasion of England then appeared certain, Henry issued an order to build a chain of fortifications along the English coast to counter this threat. So, between 1539 and 1547 a total of 17 castles were built, aided by earthwork fortifications. Deal was one of those castles, as were Sandgate and Walmer castles. As Henry's order was called a "device", the castles are also known as Device Forts or Henrician castles.

Deal Castle was built, near the beachfront, between 1539 and 1540 to defend the strategically important Downs anchorage off the English coast, together with Walmer Castle to the south and the (no longer existing) Sandown Castle to the north. The moated castle consisted of a low circular keep surrounded by 6 inner and 6 outer bastions, all roughly semicircular, and had 66 firing positions for artillery.

Eventually the invasion threat passed. By the early 17th century the castle suffered damage from the sea due to coastal erosion. During the Second English Civil War in 1648, it was seized by pro-Royalist insurgents and was only retaken by Parliamentary forces after several months' fighting, which left the castle severely damaged.

Although it remained armed, Deal Castle was adapted during the 18th and 19th centuries to form a more suitable residence for the castle's captain, which was by now an honorary position. In 1904, the War Office concluded that the castle no longer had any defensive value and it was opened to the public when the captain was not in residence.

Early in WW II the captain's quarters were destroyed by German bombing and the castle became an observation post for an artillery battery placed along the shore line. After the war the castle was not brought back into use as a residence and was restored by the government during the 1950s to form a tourist attraction.

At present Deal Castle can be visited for a fee. A very nice castle, worth your visit, especially together with nearby Walmer Castle.

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Details
Hits: 2644