Hurst Castle map

Henry VIII built Hurst Castle in 1544 to defend the western end of the Solent from possible invasion by the French. King Charles I was imprisonment here until his execution in 1648, he used to take his exercise walking along the spit. In the Second World War it was used as a coastal battery, two 38-ton guns are still in place.There is a museum, café, and a ferry. Below: Round the Island Race viewed from Hurst Castle 20-June-2009