Deal Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Deal Castle |
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| Deal, Kent | |
The castle viewed from the air
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 Deal Castle
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| Coordinates | 51°13′10″N 1°24′13″E / 51.21943°N 1.40356°E |
| Grid reference | TR 378 521 |
| Type | Device Fort |
| Site information | |
| Owner | English Heritage |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Kentish ragstone, brick, Caen stone |
| Events | Second English Civil War, Second World War |
| Official name | Artillery castle at Deal |
| Designated | 9 October 1981 |
| Reference no. | 1013380 |
Deal Castle is a special type of fort built by King Henry VIII in Deal, Kent. It was constructed between 1539 and 1540. This castle was part of the King's plan to protect England from possible attacks by France and the Holy Roman Empire.
It helped defend a very important area called the Downs. This was a safe place for ships to anchor off the English coast. Deal Castle has a central tower, called a keep, and six round parts called bastions. It was surrounded by a moat and had 66 places for cannons.
Building Deal Castle, along with two other nearby castles (Sandown and Walmer), cost a lot of money. The total was about £27,092, which was a huge sum back then! These three castles were close together and had earth walls connecting them.
The threat of invasion passed, but the castle saw action later. During the Second English Civil War in 1648–49, supporters of the King took over Deal Castle. It took several months for the Parliament's army to get it back.
Over time, Deal Castle changed. In the 1700s and 1800s, it became more like a private house for its captain. In 1904, the army decided the castle was no longer needed for defense. It then opened to the public when the captain wasn't there.
During the Second World War, German bombs damaged the captain's living area. The castle then became a place to watch for enemy activity. After the war, it was fixed up and became a popular place for tourists. Today, English Heritage looks after Deal Castle.
Contents
History of Deal Castle
Why was Deal Castle Built?
England's Coastal Defenses in the 1500s
Deal Castle was built because of big problems between England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire. This happened during the last years of King Henry VIII's rule. Before this, England didn't have many strong coastal defenses. Local lords usually handled them.
France and the Empire were often fighting each other. So, a real invasion of England seemed unlikely. There were some small forts, but most of England's coast was not well protected.
King Henry VIII's "Device" Plan
In 1533, King Henry VIII made a big decision. He broke away from the Pope because he wanted to end his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Catherine was the aunt of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. He felt insulted by Henry's actions.
Because of this, France and the Empire teamed up against Henry in 1538. The Pope even encouraged them to attack England. It looked like an invasion was definitely going to happen. So, in 1539, Henry ordered new forts to be built along the English coast. This plan was called a "device".
Building Deal Castle
Choosing the Location
Deal Castle, along with Walmer and Sandown, was built to protect the Downs. This was an important area in east Kent where ships could anchor safely. The Goodwin Sands created this safe spot.
The Downs also gave access to Deal Beach, where enemy soldiers could easily land. King Henry knew this area well. Besides the stone castles, there were also four earth forts and a long defensive ditch and bank. Together, these became known as the "castles of the Downes."
Who Built Deal Castle?
We don't know who designed Deal Castle. But Sir Edward Ryngeley and Thomas Wingfield were in charge of the project. Robert Loyrde managed the money, and Christopher Dickenson was the master builder.
Work on Deal Castle started in April 1539. It moved very quickly, with 1,400 men working there by the next month. By December, the castle was mostly finished. Building Deal and the other forts cost the King about £27,092. Much of this money came from closing down monasteries a few years earlier. Materials like lead, wood, and stone from these monasteries were also reused for Deal Castle.
Thomas Wingfield became the first captain of the castle in 1540. He had a team of soldiers, gunners, and porters working for him.
Early Years of the Castle
The immediate threat of invasion passed. However, Deal Castle was made stronger in 1558 because of new worries about a French attack. Around 1570, the main round parts (bastions) were filled with earth. This probably allowed heavier cannons to be placed on them.
Queen Elizabeth I visited the castle in 1573. In 1588, the defenses along the coast were made ready for action. This was because of the threat from the Spanish armada. The castle likely stayed ready for battle for the rest of Elizabeth's reign.
Deal Castle in the 1600s
Challenges and Repairs
In the early 1600s, England was at peace. So, coastal defenses like Deal Castle were not given much attention. By 1615, Deal Castle was in poor condition. Its outer walls were damaged by storms and the sea.
The castle's captain, William Byng, wrote many letters about the problems. He said winter storms had filled the moat with water and stones. By 1618, most of the soldiers were living in the nearby town. Only a small guard stayed at the castle at night.
As the castle got worse, fighting between Dutch, French, and Spanish ships became common in the Downs. This made the forts along the Kent coast even more important. Some repairs were likely done in the late 1630s.
The English Civil War
In August 1642, the First English Civil War began. Forces loyal to Parliament took over Deal Castle. The castle didn't play a big role in this first conflict.
However, in 1648, the Second English Civil War broke out. The Parliament's navy was based in the Downs, protected by Walmer and the other castles. But in May, a Royalist uprising started in Kent. Deal Castle, along with Sandown and Walmer, declared for the King.
Parliament defeated the main uprising in June. Then, Colonel Nathaniel Rich was sent to deal with Deal and the other castles. Walmer Castle surrendered first. Deal Castle was then surrounded in July.
A Royalist fleet tried to help by attacking Parliament's positions. They even landed some soldiers, but these soldiers had to leave due to lack of money. The castle's defenders tried a surprise attack but were pushed back. The Royalist fleet tried to land more soldiers in August, but it failed.
After news of a Royalist defeat elsewhere, Deal Castle surrendered on August 20th. Rich became the new Captain. He reported that the castle was badly damaged and needed many repairs.
Deal Castle was kept in good condition because of the threat from the Dutch. It was strengthened with earthworks and soldiers during the First Anglo-Dutch War in 1652. After the King returned to power in 1660, the castle's soldiers were reduced. But it still helped defend the Downs during later wars with the Dutch.
In 1688, during the Glorious Revolution, the people of Deal took over the castle. They supported William of Orange and prepared to defend against a feared invasion that never happened.
Deal Castle in Recent Centuries
Changes in the 1700s and 1800s
Deal Castle was still used as a military fort in the 1700s. In 1728, it had 11 large cannons. The next year, the captain, Sir John Norris, made changes to the castle. He wanted to make his living area better.
The central tower (keep) was redesigned to look like a medieval castle. It had wood-paneled rooms overlooking the sea. During the Napoleonic Wars, the castle had nine powerful cannons. Other cannons were placed along the beach.
In 1802, another important person, Lord Carrington, made more improvements to the castle. By this time, the job of captain had become more of an honorary title. The castle was starting to look more like a private house than just a fort.
In 1898, the army agreed that the Office of Works should be involved in any changes to the historic castle. In 1904, the army decided the castle was no longer useful for defense. It was then fully given to the Office of Works. When the captain wasn't living there, it was opened to visitors.
Deal Castle in the 20th and 21st Centuries
During the Second World War, in November 1940, German bombs hit the castle. Much of the captain's living area was destroyed. The captain, William Birdwood, had to move to Hampton Court Palace.
Two large naval guns were placed in front of the castle from 1940 to 1944. The castle also served as a command post and provided housing for soldiers. After Birdwood died in 1951, the castle stopped being a home. It was then taken over by the government.
Restoration work was done in the 1950s. This removed many of the changes made in the 1700s on the side facing the sea. In 1972, the honorary captaincy of Deal Castle was brought back.
Today, English Heritage manages Deal Castle. It is a popular place for tourists to visit. It is also protected by UK law as a scheduled monument, meaning it's an important historical site.
What Does Deal Castle Look Like?
Deal Castle still has most of its original design from the 1500s. It has a tall keep (central tower) with six half-circle bastions. These are about 86 feet across. Around the keep are another six round bastions. The one on the west side is the gatehouse.
The castle is surrounded by a moat and an outer wall. The walls of the bastions are very thick, about 15 feet! The castle was built using Kentish ragstone, local bricks, and Caen stone from old monasteries. It was larger than Walmer and Sandown castles, covering about 0.85 acres.
The castle originally had four levels for cannons. The heaviest and longest-range guns were on the upper levels, including the keep. In total, there were 66 places for cannons. There were also 53 small openings in the basement for handguns. These were for close defense if needed.
The openings in the walls were wide. This gave the guns plenty of space to move. The inside of the castle had vents to let out smoke from the guns. The castle's top parts (battlements) look medieval now, but they were changed in 1732.
Historians say Deal Castle was a mix of old English designs and newer Italian defense styles. Like its sister castles, Deal had some design challenges. It needed too many guns to be fully armed. Its curved shape could be weak against attacks. Also, even though the walls were kept low and thick, the castle was still quite tall. This made it more open to attack.
You enter Deal Castle through the gatehouse. This gatehouse originally looked out over a walled garden, which is mostly gone now. The dry, stone-lined moat is about 20 meters wide and 5 meters deep. You would have crossed it on a stone path and a drawbridge. Now, there's a modern wooden bridge.
The gatehouse still has its original iron-studded doors. They are considered "among the best preserved" for their age. It also has five "murder-holes". These were small openings where defenders could drop things or shoot handguns at attackers in the passageway. The entrance would also have had a portcullis (a heavy gate that drops down). The outer bastions were filled with earth in the 1570s. A path called "the Rounds" goes around the outside of the outer bastions. This path connects the handgun positions that covered the moat.
The keep has a central spiral staircase. It connects the basement, ground floor, and first floor. When first built, the soldiers lived on the ground floor. The captain lived on the first floor, and the basement was for storage. The ground floor has walls that divide it into sections. The original ovens and fireplace are still there. The first floor mostly dates from the 1720s, but some original parts remain. On top of the keep, there's a wooden structure with a bell from 1655. The gun openings in the keep were changed into windows in the 1700s and 1800s.
Images for kids
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The castle viewed from the air
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Draft 1539 plan probably shown to Henry VIII
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Map of Deal Walmer and Sandown Castles, "The three castles which keep the Downs"
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The castle from the east, showing the outer bastions, inner bastions, keep and lantern
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The castle, depicted by Wenceslas Hollar in the mid-17th century
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The east side of the castle, showing the moat and the sequence of gun-ports at ground level
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The castle at the end of the 19th century; at the rear are the captain's quarters, since destroyed
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Ground floor plan: A – moat; B – gatehouse; C – inner courtyard; D – keep
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The castle from the south in 2018
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See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Deal para niños
- List of Captains of Deal Castle
