Scheduled Monuments›England›Yarmouth Castle

Yarmouth Castle

England
List entry 1009391
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1009391
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.2 hectares
Grid reference
SZ 35399 89776
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Yarmouth Castle is a coastal artillery fort built in the mid-sixteenth century on the Isle of Wight at the entrance to the Solent. Constructed between 1547 and 1551 under the direction of Henry VIII's military engineer, it represents an important example of early Tudor military architecture designed to counter French naval threats. The castle features a distinctive angular bastion and gun platform characteristic of Renaissance fortification design, allowing effective coverage of the harbour approaches. Built from local stone with brick detailing, the compact structure reflects the practical requirements of coastal defence during a period of significant European conflict.

Yarmouth Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1009391. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Yarmouth Castle?

Yarmouth Castle is a coastal artillery fort built in the mid-sixteenth century on the Isle of Wight at the entrance to the Solent. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1009391.

Who is responsible for protecting Yarmouth Castle?

Yarmouth Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1009391.

What other scheduled monuments are near Yarmouth Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow 830m SE of Shalcombe Manor: part of a round barrow cemetery on Pay Down (6.7 km), Bowl barrow in Coombe Plantation on Chessell Down: 830m north west of Longstone Cottage (6.8 km), Bowl barrow in Coombe Plantation on Chessell Down: 710m north west of Longstone Cottage (7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Yarmouth Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Yarmouth Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Bowl barrow 830m SE of Shalcombe Manor: part of a round barrow cemetery on Pay Down
6.7 km
Bowl barrow in Coombe Plantation on Chessell Down: 830m north west of Longstone Cottage
6.8 km
Bowl barrow in Coombe Plantation on Chessell Down: 710m north west of Longstone Cottage
7 km
Bowl barrow 540m NNW of Longstone Cottage: part of a round barrow cemetery on Mottistone Down
7.2 km
Two bowl barrows 460m NNW of Longstone Cottage: part of a round barrow cemetery on Mottistone Down
7.3 km
Two bowl barrows 440m north of Longstone Cottage: part of a round barrow cemetery on Mottistone Down
7.3 km
New Battery and High Down Test Site, The Needles
7.4 km
Bowl barrow on Mottistone Common: 300m west of Longstone Cottage
7.4 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Yarmouth Castle

Yarmouth Castle stands on Eocene claystone, bedrock that formed in the Eocene. The rock here is claystone.

Domesday entry for Yarmouth, Hampshire →
All Scheduled Monuments