East and West Blockhouses facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East and West Blockhouses |
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| Angle and Dale, Wales | |
Remains of the East Blockhouse, Angle, looking out to the site of the West Blockhouse at Dale
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 East and West Blockhouses
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| Coordinates | 51°40′56″N 5°07′27″W / 51.68213°N 5.12424°W |
| Type | Device Fort |
| Site information | |
| Condition | East Blockhouse ruined West Blockhouse destroyed |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Stone |
| Events | Second World War |
The East and West Blockhouses were special forts built by King Henry VIII in 1539. Their job was to protect the important harbour of Milford Haven in Wales. These two forts, called blockhouses, stood on opposite sides of the Milford Haven Waterway. One was in the village of Angle, and the other was in Dale. They both looked out over the sea.
The East Blockhouse was never fully finished. However, its ruins were used again as a defense point during the Second World War. People at the time said the West Blockhouse was a round tower with openings for guns, called gunports. It was later torn down when a new fort, West Blockhouse Fort, was built in the 1800s.
Why Were These Forts Built?
These two blockhouses were built because of big disagreements between England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire. This happened during the last years of King Henry VIII's rule. Before this, England's king usually let local lords and towns handle their own coastal defenses. The king only played a small part in building forts.
France and the Empire were often fighting each other. So, sea raids were common. But a full invasion of England seemed unlikely. England had some small defenses, like simple blockhouses and towers, mostly in the south-west and along the Sussex coast. A few bigger forts were in the north, but overall, England's defenses were quite weak.
In 1533, King Henry VIII decided to break away from Pope Paul III. He wanted to end his long marriage to Catherine of Aragon and marry someone else. Catherine was the aunt of Charles V, who was the Holy Roman Emperor. Charles V felt personally insulted by Henry's actions. Because of this, France and the Empire formed an alliance against Henry in 1538. The Pope even encouraged them to attack England. Suddenly, an invasion of England seemed very likely.
How the Forts Were Built
In 1539, King Henry gave a special order, which he called a "device." This order gave instructions for "defending the country in times of invasion." It also called for building forts along the English coastline. Soon after, work began on the East Blockhouse in Angle. Angle overlooked the entrance to Milford Haven harbour. Another fort, the West Blockhouse, was built right across the Milford Haven Waterway in Dale.
The East Blockhouse was built on a narrow piece of land about 35 meters (115 feet) above the sea. A historian from the Elizabethan era, George Owen of Henllys, said the building was meant to be a "rounde turrett." In the 1900s, the remaining parts showed a stone building about 7.3 by 4.0 meters (24 by 13 feet). It had a stone wall to the north and a smaller building about 15 meters (49 feet) away to the south-east. The construction of the East Blockhouse was never finished. By 1546, its walls had already started to fall apart. According to Owen, the West Blockhouse was a round tower, about 20 feet (6 meters) across, with eight gunports for cannons.
What Happened Later
After England made peace with France in 1558, military focus shifted. Spain became a new threat to England's wealthy south-west region. Tensions with Spain grew, and an invasion seemed possible in 1589. Because of this, the king allowed people to reuse stones from the East Blockhouse for new coastal defenses. However, this work was never done. The fort continued to crumble until the 1900s.
When the Second World War began in 1939, the East Blockhouse was used by the British military. They cleared out the inside and built a small shed in one corner. A narrow trench was dug on the north side of the building. An opening for a rifle was made on the east side. A machine-gun position was dug out and protected with sandbags outside the fort.
Over time, land erosion has damaged the East Blockhouse. The north wall fell before 1975. Between 2010 and 2011, there was another big landslip. An archaeological study of the blockhouse was done in 2011. This study was paid for by Cadw, a Welsh heritage agency. The East Blockhouse is the only fort of its kind still standing in Wales. It is protected by UK law as a scheduled monument.
The West Blockhouse was torn down in the 1800s. This happened when West Blockhouse Fort was built on the same spot. So, there are no visible remains of the original West Blockhouse today.
