Conservation Award - Calshot Castle - Calshot Spit, Fawley, Hampshire, UK
Posted by: Dragontree
N 50° 49.190 W 001° 18.487
30U E 619174 N 5631154
This Conservation Award commemorates the Calshot Castle refurbishment. The castle is owned by English Heritage.
Waymark Code: WMCPGK
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/29/2011
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The society who awarded this commemoration describes its purpose on its official website
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'Solent Protection exists to ensure the ecological and environmental well-being and wise management of the Solent area, its natural beauty and amenities, so that these may continue to be enjoyed by present and future generations.
The Solent Protection Society, formed in 1956, exists to safeguard the amenities of the Solent area and do everything possible to preserve their beauty for our own and future generations.'
Calshot Castle is described on Wikipedia: visit link
'Calshot Castle is one of Henry VIII's device forts, built on Calshot Spit at the Solent near Fawley to guard the entrance to Southampton Water. Also known as a Henrician Castle, Calshot was built as part of Henry's chain of coastal defences to defend England's coast from foreign invasion especially during the turbulent times after his break from the Roman Catholic Church.
It was built as a circular blockhouse with a three storey central keep in 1540 using stone from Beaulieu Abbey. The outer walls were lowered in 1774 and the gatehouse was rebuilt in order to provide more living space. The south east battery was added in 1895 but has since been demolished. The castle was in use until 1956.
It is now owned by English Heritage and visitors to the castle can park in the adjacent leisure centre car park.'