Sandgate Castle
We've been aware of this site our entire lives, and it kills us that we can't go in and have a proper look. But this is a residential site now, which is both amazing and a terrible shame, so if you're walking along the seafront to have a look please be respectful. Sandgate Castle was constructed in 1539/1540 by Henry VIII as an artillery fort. It seems strange to mention him without having to reference how he caused the downfall of a site. No, this time he was the reason for its construction (positively) in the last few years of his life. The intention was to protect England against the French and the Holy Roman Empire where tensions had begun to grow and so he devised the 'Device Programme' which effectively put in place small fortresses in the weaker parts of the coast. This castle had a central stone keep made from Kentish Ragstone, three towers, and a gatehouse. It was fitted with 142 firing points for cannons and handguns and was capable of holding ...
