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The largest of Henry VIII's coastal forts and the centrepiece of three castles built to protect the Downs. Deal, Walmer and Sandown Castles were built in 1539-40 as protection for the coast and the anchorage of the Downs, the stretch of water sheltered by the Goodwin Sands. These defences were commisioned in response to a threatened invasion by the forces of France and Spain. They were garrisoned by the end of 1540. The stone castles were linked by an entrenchment interspersed with earth bulwarks. During the Kentish uprising which followed the execution of Charles I in 1648, the garrisons of the Downs castles along with the Downs fleet joined the rebels. The castles were besieged by Parliamentary forces and eventually recaptured, Deal being 'much torn and spoiled with the granadoes' according to Colonel Rich. In the Anglo-Dutch wars the castles performed their intended role in protecting shipping in the Downs but were increasingly obsolete as fortresses. By the eighteenth century military requirements gave way to increased domestic functions. Deal served as a residence for the holder of the honorary post of Captain. In 1802 in anticipation of Lord Carrington's residence, the Governor's Lodgings, which had been built over the courtyard nearly 80 years before were demolished and rebuilt. This building was destroyed by bombing in World War II and the bastion was later restored to its earlier form.
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| Cross-ref.
| Source description | | --- | Photograph: OBLIQUE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH Types: CASTLE. 3752/7/158. Black and White. Negative. |
| <1> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. OS 25" 1958 |
| <2> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. MHLG (1035/11/A June 1947). 18-19 |
| <3> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. F1 ASP 18-JUN-64 |
| <4> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Deal & Walmer Castles, 1963 (MOW) |
| <5> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Deal and Walmer Castles, Eng Heritage Guide 1988, 5-17, 21-29, photos, plan (AD Saunders) |
| <6> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. English Her Handbook, 1987, (BH St J O'Neill) |
| <7> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Hist of the King's Works 4 (2), 1982, 369, 374, 404-5, 457-61 (HM Colvin ed) |
| <8> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Castles. An Intro to the Castles of England and Wales 1953, 24 (BH St J O'Neill) |
| <9> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. A Handbook of Kent's Defences 1540-1945, 1977, 30 (DH Bennett) |
| <10> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. The Castles of Great Britain 1953, 266, 267 (S Toy) |
| <11> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. A Hist of Fortification 3000 BC-AD 1700, 1955, 246 (S Toy) |
| <12> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Archaeol Cant 23, 1898, 24-30 (WL Rutton) |
| <13> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Archaeol Cant 126, 1969, 217-19 (A Saunders) |
| <14> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Castellarum Anglicanum 1, 1983, 229 (DJ Cathcart King) |
| <15> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. The English Castle 1936, 110 (H Brown) |
| <16> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. VCH Kent 1, 1908, 440 (I Chalkley Gould and EA Downman) |
| <17> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Country Life 88, 1940, 190-4 (A Oswald) |
| <18> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Country Life 17, 1905, 656-7 (CJ Cornish) |
| <19> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. BOE North East and East Kent 1983, illus, 282-83 (J Newman) |
| <20> | Unpublished document: OS Card / NAR index entry. Castles of England 1, 1897, 13 (JD Mackenzie). Not consulted |
| <21> | Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TR 35 SE 6 - June, 1964. |
| <22> | Unpublished document: Oxford Archaeological Unit. 1996. Proposed Supermarket Development, West Street, Deal, Kent. |
| <23> | Unpublished document: Smith, V. C. and Saunder, A.. 2001. Kents Defence Heritage. |
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