More information : (SU 47900599) 'At Hamble Point there formerly stood a castle'. (1)
In 1627 at 'St. Andrew's Point fortress, the fee of the captain and soldiers came to #85 3 4d (2). The earliest example of the revived industry of brickmaking into Hants 'are those bricks in the ruined foundation of St. Andres's castle or fort, at Hamble, which we know was built by Henry VIII (3). In July 1574, an account of the defensive strength of the county (6) mentions 'the castle of St. Andrew's Netley (4). (2-7)
At the indicated site two short stretches of stone blocks mortared together may be seen. They run out to sea from just above high tide mark for a length of c 10m. and are slightly curved forming two segments of a circle c 30m. in diameter. The shingle covers all but the top-most stones. Other debris nearby includes a piece of vaulted brickwork but the bricks appear modern.
There is much wartime debris on this beach and in the eroded face of the shore-line may be seen much brick and tile but all
apparently modern.
It would appear possible that the fragments of stone wall are
from this castle but no definite opinion can be given. (8)
A fragment of Bellarmine were (the neck and handle) was found at this site. (9)
A stretch of mortared walling survives and has been surveyed at 1:2500 at SU 47900599. 20.0m to the E a few random blocks of worked stone lie in the sand but no trace of the second stretch of walling observed in 1955 could be located. (10)
St. Andrew's Castle was built just before 1544 as part of the
Solent defences. Investigation on the shore revealed traces of masonry, a moat and a break-water on sea-wall. (11)
The castle was probably built in 1543-4 at the same time as Netley and Southsea Castles, or perhaps a little earlier. A survey of 1595 shows that there was a round tower for the lighter carriage-mounted ordnance, a gun platform mounting 2 iron culverines, the heaviest ordnance, within the castle, and a `wall or pier' next to the sea, mounting the medium ordnance. It was very probably like the early fort at Tilbury, Essex, mounting guns in three tiers. It was maintained until 1642 when it was disabled by Parliamentary forces,and was not recommissioned. (12)
Excavations in 1971-2 recovered the plans of some of the defences normally covered by shingle. See illus. (13)
Scheduled. See source for further details. (14)
Examination of the state of defences at St Andrews as elicited from a survey of 1623. (15)
A small artillery castle with a high rectangular keep and a low semi-circular bulwark which contained parapets and a gun platform. It was surrounded by a 25m wide moat. The site was excavated in 1971-2. (16) |