Hurst Castle is one of Henry VIII's Device Forts built at the end of a long shingle spit at the west end of the Solent to guard the approaches to Portsmouth, and given extensive new wing batteries after the 1859 Royal Commission report. The castle is now owned by English Heritage.
HurstCastle was sited at the narrow entrance to the Solent where the ebb and flow of the tides creates strong currents, putting would-be invaders at its mercy.
The castle is the closest point on the British mainland to the Isle of Wight, with Colwell Bay on the island lying less than two kilometres to the southeast.
HurstCastle is situated at the seaward end of the shingle spit that extends 1½ mile from Milford-On-Sea.
HurstCastle was the perfect location to defend the western approach to the Solent.
A critical element in the improvement of the defences of the south coast by Henry VIII was the protection of the Solent, for this stretch of water gave access to the important ports of Portsmouth and Southampton.
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