Southsea Castle lighthouse

Southsea Castle stands at the southern tip of Portsea Island in Hampshire, guarding the deep-water channel into Portsmouth Harbour. Built in 1544 by Henry VIII, it was one of many Device forts designed to protect England from invasion. The castle’s angular bastions and central keep show the early influence of Italian-style fortifications. It fired its first guns within months of construction, ready for the French fleet that appeared in 1545. The Cowdray engraving shows Henry VIII himself visiting the castle during the Battle of the Solent. Over the centuries the castle was rebuilt and strengthened, especially in the 1850s when new gun batteries were added. The castle’s military role continued through the English Civil War and both world wars. In 1642 Parliamentary forces captured it after a brief fight, and it later became a prison during the Interregnum. In the 1840s it briefly held French naval prisoners, and in 1940 it supported Operation Grasp to seize French ships in the harbour. By 1960 it was obsolete and sold to the city council, which restored it to its 16th-century appearance. Visitors today walk along the restored ramparts and enter the square keep. The east and west gun platforms still hold original artillery pieces, while the angled bastions give wide views over the Solent. Inside the keep, displays explain the castle’s history from Henry VIII to the Second World War. The surrounding parade ground and moat remain as they were in the 16th century, linking past and present.