Questions people actually ask
Short answers, each with its source. Longer ones live on the topic pages.
What were the Tudor forts?
Between 1539 and 1547 Henry VIII made a national plan to defend England against invasion by powerful Catholic forces in Europe. English Heritage: Tudors: War He built over 30 new gun forts to stop enemies capturing harbours and estuaries along the east and south coasts. English Heritage: Tudors: War
What were they called?
English Heritage’s Deal pages say these forts are known as Henrician castles or “device forts”. English Heritage: Deal Castle, history and stories In February 1539 the king’s council put into action “the device of the king”, a plan to improve the country’s defences. English Heritage: History of Portland Castle
How many were there?
Local Learning says over 30 forts were built, the largest coastal defence programme in England since the Roman period. English Heritage: Local Learning, Pendennis and St Mawes Castles By the end of Henry’s reign in 1547, Deal was one of 42 new artillery forts protecting ports, anchorages and estuaries. English Heritage: History of Deal Castle
Why were they round?
The big forts had squat, rounded shapes, built to fire guns in every direction. English Heritage: Tudors: War The circular shape and several tiers let the guns fire outwards all the way round. English Heritage: Local Learning, Pendennis and St Mawes Castles
Which survives best?
English Heritage calls St Mawes perhaps the best surviving example of a Henrician artillery fort. English Heritage: History of St Mawes Castle English Heritage calls Hurst among the best preserved of Henry VIII’s castles. English Heritage: Significance of Hurst Castle
Why were they built?
The pope urged them to invade England to punish Henry VIII. English Heritage: History of Walmer Castle Portland’s history page says how real the invasion threat was is debatable. English Heritage: History of Portland Castle
Were they ever attacked?
No invasion ever came, but Walmer later saw action in the English Civil Wars. English Heritage: History of Walmer Castle In 1646 about 1,000 people held out in a five-month siege and surrendered in August when the food ran out. English Heritage: History of Pendennis Castle
What is an angle bastion?
An angle bastion is usually shaped like an arrowhead with four straight sides. English Heritage: History of Yarmouth Castle Its two faces fire at the enemy, and its two flanks fire along the walls. English Heritage: History of Yarmouth Castle
Which was the last?
Yarmouth Castle, begun in 1546–7, was the last fort of the programme. English Heritage: History of Yarmouth Castle
Where does this fit in the national curriculum?
The words “device forts” do not appear in the national curriculum in England. Department for Education: National curriculum in England, history programmes of study At KS2, pupils in England study “an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066”. Department for Education: National curriculum in England, history programmes of study
Our sources give dates in different ways, and some disagree by a year or tell a story differently. We copy each figure as its source gives it, rather than converting, so every figure matches its link. Every fact was checked against its source on the date shown on the sources page. See when sources disagree for the open questions side by side.