East Cowes

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Old Castle Point

In the civil parish of East Cowes.
In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Isle of Wight, 1974 county of Isle of Wight).

Artillery Fort built 1539-42, abandoned c.1546. In ruins by C17, no remains found. Since the expenditure on its construction, and the size of the garrison, was roughly the same as for West Cowes Castle, the castle probably resembled that at West Cowes. Also at East Cowes, an earlier bulwark was built somewhere near the present floating bridge terminal to prevent access to ships up the River Medina.

This site has been described as a;
Artillery Fort
Chain Tower.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SZ51109656

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 461607

• Web site links
  • http://freespace.virgin.net/roger.hewitt/iwias/home.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p67
    Saunders, Andrew, 1997, Channel Defences (London; Batsford/English Heritage) p47
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p109
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p195
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/wilshireeng.html#wight3]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p207