We’ve added another pair of models to our 1/700th range of coastal forts. These are both Henrician Device Forts, built by Henry VIIIth and funded by an order from the King known as a ‘device’. These were mostly built across the South coast to counter the threat from the Spanish, although some were built in Wales and as far north as Hull on the East coast. They varied in size and design from small artillery blockhouses to large castles such as Deal and Walmer.
This week’s pair are from Dorset, and overlook the Weymouth Harbour and Portland Roads anchorages. Sandsfoot Castle (also known as Weymouth Castle) is a smallish rectangular blockhouse with an octagonal gun platform at one end. Sadly it’s in a state of disrepair nowadays, with much of the stone taken for other building projects when it fell into disuse in the C.17th.
Portland Castle is further south on the Isle of Portland. It’s a fan-shaped artillery castle which housed around a dozen guns, and was still used during the Napoleonic wars. After repairs to the foundations, today it’s considered on of the best preserved of Henry’s forts.
B700-196 – Portland Castle – £3.00
B700-197 – Sandsfoot Castle – £2.00