SOUTHSEA CASTLE.
Southsea Castle was built by Henry VIII between 1544 and 1545 to protect Portsmouth against possible French invasion.
Its revolutionary design provided for the most efficient use of guns in attack or defence as artillery started to dominate warfare.
Henry's famous warship the Mary Rose, housed in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, was sunk in the waters of the Solent just in front of the castle.
The castle saw action during the Civil War being captured by Parliamentary forces, read more about the Seige of Portsmouth.
At the request of the Admiralty, the lighthouse was erected near the west bastion in 1820.
Additional gun batteries were added to the east and the west flanks some 40 years later, and a brick wall with loopholes was erected on the landward side to give some protection from these batteries being over run.
In the 19th century a tunnel was built to defend the castle moat. Visitors can still enter the tunnel and see how the castle would have been defended against invaders.
By the 1950s, modern weapons had rendered coastal artillery obsolete and Southesea Castle was subsequently purchased by the City Council in 1960.
The castle was opened to the public for the first time in 1967.
The castle houses a small museum, spread over several floors of the keep and the rooftop of the keep provides excellent views across the Solent towards the Isle of Wight.
When you see how close to the shore shipping has to pass, due to the position of the shipping channel, you can fully apreciate the strategic position that Southsea Castle holds.
