Hurst Castle Its nucleus is among the seaside forts of Henry VIII, broadened consequently of some other invasion scare in Victorian occasions. The initial castle was built-in 1539-44 and also the master mason, Thomas Bertie, later grew to become captain from the garrison here, an inquisitive although not uncommon reward for any castle builder. Like Calshot, it lies in the finish of the spit of shingle, more than miles lengthy and projecting into the center of the Solent. The Isle of Wight is nothing more than miles away and, together with its counterpart at Yarmouth, the castle's guns could effectively command the western entrance towards the Solent. Hurst was garrisoned almost continuously until world war ii. Its situation also designed a secure prison, used mainly for that incarceration of Catholics though its most well-known inmate was Charles I on the way to his trial and execution. The Henrician fort has become between two lengthy batteries put in 1861-73, once the anxiety about a resurgent France under Napoleon III brought to that particular huge variety of defensive works referred to as "Palmerston's Follies'. Henry's castle consists of a central tower, polygonal outdoors but circular within, encircled with a thick curtain with three semi-circular projecting bastions. Large gun ports at first pierced the curtain and additional cannon might have been installed on the parapets from the curtain and also the greater central tower. Later modifications have hidden a lot of the initial layout. The central tower includes a spiral stair turret at its nucleus, most likely an authentic feature although it was reconstructed within the Napoleonic period once the tower's brick vault was placed. Just the northwest bastion, that is greater than these, preserves its original appearance. Beside it's the entrance gateway, retaining its portcullis groove and slots for that drawbridge chains.