Calshot Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Caldshore; Calshott; Cawshot

In the civil parish of Fawley. In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Hampshire, 1974 county of Hampshire).

One of Henry VIII's Forts. Erected, largely from material from Beaulieu Abbey, of ashlar and rubble. Single tower surrounded by curtain wall and moat. Central tower 15.5 m in diameter and 10.5 m high, octagonal ground floor. Dressed squared Portland stone, brick and old plain tile roofed addition. Plan of circular moat around circular island with wall around edge, raised to 3 storeys on one quadrant, for gate house. In centre of island 3 storey keep tower. Both sides of moat faced in dressed stone, with moulded coping. On inner side wall rises from coping with open-topped embrasure. The 3 storey quadrant has slightly projecting full-height gatehouse. C20 bridge stands in front of recessed 2 deep order pointed archway with double doors. Each side pilaster with impost to chevron hood. Panel over, framed by pilasters with early Renaissance decoration. Each side loopholes. 3rd floor heavy moulded string course, that wall originally coping before wall was raised in C18. In centre, cutting string is 12-pane sash. Either side of gateway are embrasures now fitted with 2-light casements and heavy moulded string course at head of gateway level. Central keep tower has only pointed doorway on ground floor. Moulded 1st floor string. On 1st floor tall embrasures with 12-pane sashes. 2nd floor raised band. On 1st floor wider embrasures with 12-pane sashes, set slightly off-centre to those on 1st floor. Moulded cornice to tall parapet that has additional floor behind it.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This site is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 143419)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU48880249

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape Defra ELS number; 229790 County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number; 21990

• Web site links
  • http://www.hants.gov.uk/leisure/navdef/calshot/index.html
    http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/entries/v05p124e06.html
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.175
    http://www.itraveluk.co.uk/content/270.html
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/calshot.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p39
    Saunders, Andrew, 1997, Channel Defences (London; Batsford/English Heritage) p47, 119
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p84
    Barron, W.G., 1985, The Castles of Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Paul Cave) p14-5
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works, vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p527-30
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p200
    Morley, B.M., 1976, Henry VIII and the Development of Coastal Defence (London) p15
    O’Neil, B.H.St.J., 1960, Castles and Cannon: A Study of Early Artillery Fortifications in England (Oxford: Claredon Press) p51
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Page, Wm (ed), 1908, VCH, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol3 p292
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p198
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p322
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p104
• Journal Articles
  • Malpas, J., 1977, ‘Some lesser known Henrician castles' Fort Vol4 p2-3
    Saunders, A.D., 1966, 'Coastal defences since the introduction of artillery' Archaeological Journal Vol123 p136-71
    Buhler, 1952, Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society newsletter Vol17 p247-25 [historicalnote]
    Williams-Freeman, 1932-4, Proceeding of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Vol12 p.214
• Guidebooks
  • Coad, J.G.. 1999, Calshot Castle (English Heritage)
    Coad, J.G.. 1986, Calshot Castle, Hampshire (English Heritage)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/wilshireeng.html#hants4]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p206