Henry VIII builds Solent coastal forts

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In 1544, facing the threat of French invasion after England's break with Rome, Henry VIII ordered the construction of a chain of coastal artillery forts along the Solent. Southsea Castle, Hurst Castle, and Calshot Castle were among the fortifications built or strengthened during this period, forming part of the broader Device Forts programme that defended the south coast from Kent to Cornwall. Southsea Castle was built at the eastern entrance to Portsmouth Harbour, commanding the anchorage at Spithead. Hurst Castle was positioned at the narrowest point of the western Solent, where the strait contracts to barely a mile. Calshot Castle guarded the entrance to Southampton Water. Together with existing fortifications at Portchester and new works on the Isle of Wight, they created a defensive network that covered the entire Solent. The forts were tested almost immediately. In July 1545, a large French fleet entered the Solent, and it was during the ensuing battle that the Mary Rose sank. Henry VIII watched the action from a position near Southsea Castle. The coastal forts were maintained and modified through subsequent centuries, and several remain standing as scheduled monuments.