Harwich, the principal haven on the Essex north coast and one of the most important harbours on the North Sea, had its defences reviewed in 1539 as part of the comprehensive national coastal defence programme. Harwich had suffered from French raids in 1338 and its position commanding the mouth of the Orwell and Stour estuaries made it strategically important. The 1539 blockhouse was the foundation of what would become a major naval installation in the Elizabethan and Stuart periods.
None recorded
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