Castles of the British Isles

Deal Castle was built between 1539-1540 on the orders of Henry VIII. It was one of a series of coastal fortifications which also included Walmer Castle and Sandown Castle (see 'related links', below).

For over two and-a-half centuries Deal Castle defended the important naval anchorage known as the Downs, one of the more vulnerable coastal areas in the east and south-east of England. This and similar castles were artillery fortresses, designed to allow all-round fire from - in theory - over one hundred and forty guns arrayed across five tiers.

The building programme came in response to an invasion threat which had resulted from Henry's foreign policy, and in particular his involvement in the struggle between Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1516-1556), and King Francis I of France (1515-1547).

Henry's conduct by 1539 in terms of his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, in the destruction of monasteries, and in taking control of the church in England, had resulted in an alliance between then and against him, urged on by an enraged pope.

The Downs castles were completed in October 1540 and, by the end of Henry's reign in 1547, Deal was one of forty-two new artillery forts which protected ports, anchorages, and estuaries. Deal never did get its promised number of guns though, with only fifty-seven having been installed by the time of Henry's death.

Those castles which were built in the first few years - including Deal - adopted a form which enabled all-round defence. They were planned and built by the staff of Henry's works departments, but are also beautiful architectural designs which were intricately and scientifically laid out to concentrate the fire of heavy guns against vessels off the coast whilst also enabling close defence against a land force.

Unfortunately they were managed on a shoestring budget in later years, only being revived during threatened invasions. By 1570 Deal had only seventeen guns, most of which were unserviceable.

The castle was largely ineffective even in terms of maintaining peace off the coast. When fighting broke out between mutually hostile Dutch and Spanish ships in 1639, all the castle's defenders could do was organise relief for the two thousand shipwrecked Spaniards who made it ashore.

In 1648 the castle endured a hard-fought siege between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War. The Royalists managed to hold out until a relief force was repelled. They surrendered a little over five months before Charles I was executed.

A Dutch fleet was seeking an opportunity to attack the English coast in 1667, during one of its wars against Stuart Britain. Colonel Silius Titus, commander of Deal Castle, prepared defences in anticipation of a landing between Walmer and the Isle of Thanet, but in the end the Dutch attacked the River Medway area and Deal was left untouched.

In 1713 British involvement ended in the War of the Spanish Succession, a conflict which had engulfed Europe since 1701. Peace prompted a review of coastal fortifications which, at Deal, resulted in modernisation.

Military engineers from the ordnance office installed twelve modern nine-pounder guns. Between 1730-1732 they built the 'Captain’s House' and improved a large garden for him just outside the castle. The old Tudor parapets were replaced with more decorative crenellations which in part survive today.

Subsequent alterations included new parapets in 1738 for the three seaward-facing bastions to allow a wide arc of fire for each gun, plus a new keep roof in 1739, a new drawbridge in 1741, and a high brick wall between 1744-1750 to enclose the captain's garden.

The result of all this work was a larger, more fashionable residence for the captain and a reformed battery of guns to defend the Downs. By this date only a lieutenant, a master gunner and a porter were usually based in the castle.

In 1773 a muster listed a nominal garrison of only eight gunners, enough for only two guns. Major alarms occurred in 1744-1745 and 1779 when French forces were expected, so militia and regular soldiers came to help the gunners operate the guns and defend the castle. Its military role effectively ceased by around 1800.

All photos by P L Kessler in February 2011, and by P L Kessler & M Kessler in July 2022.