Device Forts
| Device Forts | |
|---|---|
| English and Welsh coasts | |
|
|
| Type | Artillery castles, blockhouses and bulwarks |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public |
Most |
| Condition | Varied |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1539–47 |
| Built by | Henry VIII |
| In use | 16th–20th centuries |
| Materials | Stone, brick, earth |
| Events | English Civil War, Anglo-Dutch Wars, Napoleonic Wars, First and Second World Wars |
The Device Forts, also known as Henrician castles and blockhouses, were a series of artillery fortifications built to defend the coast of England and Wales by Henry VIII. Traditionally, the Crown had left coastal defences in the hands of local lords and communities but the threat of French and Spanish invasion led the King to issue an order, called a "device", for a major programme of work between 1539 and 1547. The fortifications ranged from large stone castles positioned to protect the Downs anchorage in Kent, to small blockhouses overlooking the entrance to Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, and earthwork bulwarks along the Essex coast. Some forts operated independently, others were designed to be mutually reinforcing. The Device programme was hugely expensive, costing a total of £376,000; much of this was raised from the proceeds of the dissolution of the monasteries a few years before.
These utilitarian fortifications were armed with artillery, intended to be used against enemy ships before they could land forces or attack ships lying in harbour. The first wave of work between 1539 and 1543 was characterised by the use of circular bastions and multi-tiered defences, combined with many traditional medieval features. These designs contained serious military flaws, however, and the second period of construction until 1547 saw the introduction of angular bastions and other innovations probably inspired by contemporary thinking in mainland Europe. The castles were commanded by captains appointed by the Crown, overseeing small garrisons of professional gunners and soldiers, who would be supplemented by the local militia in an emergency.
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Wikipedia