Isle of Wight fortalices

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; The abbot's mill and other places

In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Isle of Wight, 1974 county of Isle of Wight).

The licence grant to the abbot of Quarr Abbey in 1365 specifically mentioned Fisshehous (qv) as a place to be fortified, along with other unnamed places. These fortifications called "castra vel fortalicia" castles and fortalices in the licence must, presumably, have been some form of early artillery coastal defence Fishhouse was clearly one site for a fortalice, others may have been Gurnard, Quarr, Hamstead and Elmsworth although coastal erosion has probably destroyed any traces.
Licence for William, abbot of Quarr, in the Isle of Wight, and the convent of the same place, in the lifetime of the said William, to enclose with a wall and crenellate as many plots of land and of such precinct as they please on their own soil in the island, as well in the place called "Fisshehous" on the coast as elsewhere where it shall be expedient, and make castles or fortalices of these.
[C 66/272 Part 2, 39 Edw. III; or Calendar of Patent Rolls (1364-67) p168.]
40 Edward III 12 June 1366 Westminster
Whereas the King lately granted licence for William, abbot, and the convent of Quarr in the Isle of Wight to enclose and crenellate divers plots of land on their own soil and castles or fortalices thereon in a place called Fisshehous on the sea coast and elsewhere on the island; he has now learned on the abbot's behalf that, whereas he has caused certain fortalices to be constructed at Fisshehous and at the abbot's mill and elsewhere on the island by virtue of the said licence, certain men of those parts are scheming to hinder those works and often set themselves to lay low and destroy the works begun by the abbot at his mill, the King has therefore taken the abbot, monks and fellow brethren, and the workmen and works of the abbey into his special protection, and has appointed Richard de Pembrugg and Theobald de Gorges, and deputies whom at the request of the abbot they shall appoint to survey the works, maintain and defend the abbot, monks and workmen and works, and arrest all contrariants during pleasure.
[C 66/273 Part 1, 40 Edw III ; or Calendar of Patent Rolls (1364-67) p253.]
43 Edward III 23 January 1369 Westminster
Commission to the abbott of Quarr, John de Insula, knight, Theobald de Gorges, Thomas Langeford and John Fitz Eustace, constable of the castle of Carresbrok in the Isle of Wight, ... to guard the siad island, array and try all defensible men thereof, ...and make proclamation that ... all places by the sea in the said island where ships can put in be made secure against incursions of the enemy and be fortified and strengthened with walls and dykes; and to arrest all contrariants and to commit them to prison until further order. By King and Council.
[Calendar of Patent Rolls (1367-70) p189.]

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

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1365 Oct 24.

Sources of information, references and further reading

• Web site links
  • http://www.btinternet.com/~rob.martin1/fort/home.htm#fis
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1364-67) p168, 253
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1367-70) p189