Cowes Castle, also known as West Cowes Castle, is a
Device Fort
The Device Forts, also known as Henrician castles and blockhouses, were a series of artillery fortifications built to defend the coast of England and Wales by Henry VIII. Traditionally, the Crown had left coastal defences in the hands of local ...
in
Cowes on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
. Originally built by
Henry VIII in 1539 to protect England against the threat of invasion from France and the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
, it comprised a circular
bastion, flanking wings and a
keep, and in 1547 it housed 17 pieces of
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
. With its companion fortification at
East Cowes
East Cowes is a town and civil parish in the north of the Isle of Wight, on the east bank of the River Medina, next to its west bank neighbour Cowes.
The two towns are connected by the Cowes Floating Bridge, a chain ferry operated by the Isle ...
, the castle overlooked the entrance to the
River Medina
The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, England, rising at St Catherine's Down near Chale, and flowing northwards through the county town Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newpo ...
, an important
anchorage. The invasion threat passed but the fortification continued in use until the middle of the 19th century, very briefly seeing action in 1642 during the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
.
Decommissioned in 1854, the castle was first leased, and later bought outright, by the
Royal Yacht Squadron
The Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) is a British yacht club. Its clubhouse is Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. Member yachts are given the suffix RYS to their names, and are permitted (with the appropriate warrant) to w ...
to form their new clubhouse. The Squadron then employed the architect
Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin (17 October 1799 – 17 December 1881) was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations. He restored castles and country h ...
to rebuild large parts of it between 1856 and 1858. It became the headquarters for part of the
D-Day invasion force during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, but has otherwise remained in use by the Squadron and is a distinctive landmark in
yacht races along the Isle of Wight.
History
16th century
Cowes Castle was built as a consequence of international tensions between England,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
in the final years of the reign of King
Henry VIII. Traditionally
the Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
had left coastal defences to the local lords and communities, only taking a modest role in building and maintaining fortifications, and while France and the Empire remained in conflict with one another, maritime raids were common but an actual invasion of England seemed unlikely. Modest defences, based around simple
blockhouses and towers, existed in the south-west and along the
Sussex coast, augmented by a few more impressive works in the north of England, but in general the fortifications were very limited in scale.
In 1533, Henry broke with
Pope Paul III to annul the long-standing marriage to his wife,
Catherine of Aragon, and remarry. Catherine was the aunt of
Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infa ...
, the Holy Roman Emperor, and he took the annulment as a personal insult. This resulted in France and the Empire declaring an alliance against Henry in 1538, and the Pope encouraging the two countries to attack England. An invasion of England appeared certain. In response, Henry issued an order, called a "
device", in 1539, giving instructions for the "defence of the realm in time of invasion" and the construction of forts along the English coastline.
The Solent
The Solent ( ) is a strait between the Isle of Wight and Great Britain. It is about long and varies in width between , although the Hurst Spit which projects into the Solent narrows the sea crossing between Hurst Castle and Colwell Bay to ...
, a stretch of water that gave access to the ports of
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
and
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
, was considered vulnerable to attack. Two castles were built on the west and east sides of the
River Medina
The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, England, rising at St Catherine's Down near Chale, and flowing northwards through the county town Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newpo ...
, the entrance to the principal harbour of the adjacent
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
, and were intended to attack any enemy ships that might approach. The castles took their names from the traditional term for this location, "the Cowes". Constructed in 1539, the western fortification, which became known as West Cowes Castle, had a D-shaped
bastion at the front, a round, two-storey
keep at the rear and two low buildings on either side, all of which mounted
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
guns. The landward side was protected by a ditch wide and a stone wall at least wide at the top. It was built from
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
ashlar stone, which may have been recycled from the demolition of nearby
Beaulieu Abbey, a consequence of Henry's recent
dissolution of the monasteries.
Settlements grew up around both castles on the Medina, but East Cowes Castle was rapidly abandoned and ultimately destroyed by
coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landwa ...
; as a result, today West Cowes Castle is often simply referred to as Cowes Castle. Inspections in 1547 showed that there were 17 iron and
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...
artillery pieces at the fort, but that nine of these were inoperable; nonetheless it continued in use as a fortification after the original invasion scare had ended, staffed with a garrison of a captain,
porter
Porter may refer to:
Companies
* Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto
* Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets
* Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer
* H.K. Porter, Inc., ...
and three
gunners during Queen
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
's reign.
17th–19th centuries
![West Cowes Castle 1725](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/West_Cowes_Castle_1725.jpg)
Cowes Castle was used to house important visitors to the Isle of Wight and also as a prison; the captain of the castle had further responsibilities for managing the arrival of foreign vessels.
When the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
broke out in 1642 between the supporters of
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
and Parliament, the castle was initially held for the King by its captain, Humphrey Turney.
On 12 August, as tensions between the rival factions on the island increased, Turney personally fired one of the castle's guns at the nearby Parliamentary naval vessel ''
Lion''. An unidentified Scottish naval captain then came ashore on 16 August and captured Turney, before landing more men and taking the castle for Parliament, who held it for the rest of the war.
During the
Interregnum, the castle continued to be used as a prison.
[; ] Charles I could not be housed in the castle while en route to his imprisonment by Parliament at
Carisbrooke Castle
Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke (near Newport), Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial.
Early history
The site of Carisb ...
in 1647 because the facility was full, and he stayed at a local
alehouse
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
instead.
The Royalist Sir
William Davenant
Sir William Davenant (baptised 3 March 1606 – 7 April 1668), also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned b ...
was imprisoned in Cowes during 1650, writing the poem ''
Gondibert
''Gondibert'' is an epic poem by William Davenant. In it he attempts to combine the five-act structure of English Renaissance drama with the Homeric and Virgilian epic literary tradition. Davenant also sought to incorporate modern philosophical th ...
'' while incarcerated. As with East Cowes Castle, coastal erosion proved a particular problem for the fortification.
[; ] An inspection in 1692 reported that the walls were cracked and at risk of collapse, and the
antiquarian Francis Grose
Francis Grose (born before 11 June 1731 – 12 May 1791) was an English antiquary, draughtsman, and lexicographer. He produced ''A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'' (1785) and ''A Provincial Glossary, with a Collection of Local Pr ...
observed in 1785 that the castle was "strongly fenced with piles and planks" to prevent erosion from the sea.
During the course of the 18th century, Cowes became a fashionable location for visitors, with several
bathhouse
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
s, one of them located beside the castle, and by the early 19th century the town had become a noted resort. Cowes Castle was partially rebuilt in 1716 to modernise its accommodation. Most of the front of the keep was demolished and rebuilt with new windows, a turret for a
spiral staircase
Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps which enable passage ...
was erected, new three- and two-storey residential wings were added, and a garden was created over the landward defences.
In 1795, the writer Richard Warner noted that the garrison consisted of the captain, a porter, two soldiers, a master gunner and five regular gunners, their wages coming to £103 a year. The castle remained in use during the Napoleonic Wars, and in 1825 was equipped with eleven guns. Warner had already complained, though, that the castle was "utterly useless" in military terms and a guidebook in 1824 echoed this judgement, describing Cowes as "useless as a place of defence" and ridiculing the sentries on duty there.
Lord Anglesey became the captain of Cowes Castle in 1826, by now a
sinecure rather than a regular military appointment, and spent part of each year at the castle, making further, lavish improvements to the interiors. Anglesey was also a member of the
Royal Yacht Squadron
The Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) is a British yacht club. Its clubhouse is Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. Member yachts are given the suffix RYS to their names, and are permitted (with the appropriate warrant) to w ...
, first established in 1815, which then operated from the Gloster Hotel in Cowes. By this time yachting had become a prestigious local event; the painter
J. M. W. Turner sketched the yachts sailing off the castle when he visited in 1827. When Anglesey died in 1854 the government decommissioned the castle and leased the property initially to Anglesey's son-in-law
Lord Conyngham, and then to the Squadron in 1855.
The architect
Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin (17 October 1799 – 17 December 1881) was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations. He restored castles and country h ...
, an expert on adapting medieval buildings, was employed by the Squadron to remodel the building between 1856 and 1858. He enlarged the house, altered its profile and built a new tower, platform and a
gatehouse
A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance. Gatehouses are typically the mo ...
, along with a service wing, a
ballroom and more accommodation for the members, at a cost of around £6,000.
Prince Albert and
Edward, the Prince of Wales, visited the castle before it was formally reopened in 1858; the work received mixed reviews, one local newspaper likening the result to "a discipline establishment".
Cowes became a major centre for yachting. After the destruction of
William IV
William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...
's miniature
frigate the ''
Royal Adelaide'' in 1877, its 21 brass cannons were donated to the castle by the Prince of Wales.
20th–21st centuries
![Cowles Castle cannon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Cowles_Castle_cannon.jpg)
Cowes Castle was bought outright from the Crown by the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1917. Further development work was carried out on the property in the 1920s, and a ballroom in an adjacent hotel was purchased for use as an annexe for female members.
The Isle of Wight became an important staging location for the
Allied efforts to invade France during the Second World War. By October 1942, the castle was occupied by the
British Admiralty and became the senior officer's headquarters of the HQ Naval Commander Force "J" Landing Craft base, known as
HMS Vectis. The force's vessels docked in the nearby Solent, and took part in the
D-Day landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
. The castle was damaged during the
German bombing raids on the island.
After the war, the architect A. G. Biggs carried out substantial additions to the castle between 1962 and 1968, including remodelling the western range to provide for more female accommodation, using stone from the second
East Cowes Castle
East Cowes Castle, located in East Cowes, was the home of architect John Nash between its completion and his death in 1835. Nash himself was the designer of the site, and began construction as early as 1798. It was completed in 1800 and was ...
, an 18th and 19th-century stately home, which had been demolished the previous year. A prefabricated conservatory extension followed in 1988, and a new pavilion designed by Sir
Thomas Croft was added in 2000.
Archaeological excavations in the winter of 2010–11 rediscovered the remains of the old castle wall and ditch, and more than 400 artefacts were removed for storage at the Isle of Wight County Museum. Cowes Castle is a distinctive landmark in yachting and powerboat events, particularly at the start and finish of local races.
[; ] It is protected under UK law as a Grade II*
Listed Building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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{{Device Forts
Castles on the Isle of Wight
Forts on the Isle of Wight
Device Forts
Cowes
Anthony Salvin buildings