East Cowes Castle (16th century)

East Cowes Castle
Isle of Wight, England
Old Castle Point, site of East Cowes Castle
East Cowes Castle
Coordinates	50°46′02″N 1°16′34″W / 50.76719°N 1.276059°W
Type	Device Fort
Site history
Built	1539-42

East Cowes Castle was a Device Fort in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, England (grid reference SZ511966). It was built in 1539-42 on the orders of Henry VIII to protect England against the threat of invasion from France and Spain. With its companion fortification of West Cowes Castle, the castle overlooked the entrance to the River Medina, an important anchorage.

East Cowes Castle may have been abandoned as early as 1546,^[1] and it was in ruins by the 17th century.^[2] No remains of the castle have survived and no details of its construction are known.^[2] The site may have been lost to coastal erosion.^[2]

The size of its garrison and the amount spent on its construction was roughly the same as for West Cowes Castle, and hence the castle probably resembled that at West Cowes.^[2] Both castles were considerably smaller than many of the other Henrician castles.^[3]

The place where the castle stood is known as Old Castle Point.^[2]

References

1. Harrington, Peter (2013). The Castles of Henry VIII. Osprey. p. 53. ISBN 1472803809.
2. Historic England. "East Cowes Castle (461607)". PastScape. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
3. Harrington, Peter (2013). The Castles of Henry VIII. Osprey. p. 29. ISBN 1472803809.