Sandsfoot Castle, Weymouth

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Sandfort; Sandsfort

In the civil parish of Weymouth.
In the historic county of Dorset (Modern Authority of Dorset, 1974 county of Dorset).

Ruinious remains of a Tudor artillery fort, built circa 1541. Bastion earthworks were added in around 1623. Portland rubble core with remains of ashlar in parts. One of Henry VIII's coastal forts, built at a cost of £3887-4s-1d. Originally a central block of 2 storeys and basement, with NW entrance gate, and an octagonal gun-room on the seaward side. The outer walls with gatehouse remain in part, much decayed, but the gun-room has practically disappeared through coastal erosion. The entry front has remains of the left side of the gatehouse over an entry with straight-sided low arch, with remains of walling each side, unfaced. The right side has remains of walling to basement, ground and first floors, with substantial ashlar remnants to the upper level with 4 large openings to deep reveals on 4-centred heads over square openings, and very steep sloping sills. Beneath, in unfaced walling, are 6 lights to peaked heads, with 5 square-headed openings to the basement. The opposite flank has 4 deep casements, in some ashlar facing, above 4 openings to the main level; the basement level is below ground level on this side. Interior is completely unroofed and without floors or fittings except for remains of a fireplace and doorways at the seaward end. The building suffered early erosion, already referred to in 1584, was abandoned for military use in 1644-5, and used as a store until 1691.

This site has been described as a;
Artillery Fort.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 467774)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SY67487739

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; 451558

• Web site links
  • http://www.weymouth-pictures.co.uk/pictures/sandsfootcastle/pic_sandsfootcastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p26
    Saunders, Andrew, 1997, Channel Defences (London; Batsford/English Heritage) p47, 49, 50, 118
    Wilton, Phil,1995, Castles of Dorset (Wimborne)
    Pomeroy, Colin, 1998, Discover Dorset Castles and Forts (Dovecote Press) p55-7
    Saunders, Andrew, 1997, Channel Defences (London; Batsford/English Heritage)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p67
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p128
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) p465-70
    Pevsner, N. and Newman J., 1972, Buildings of England: Dorset (London) p456
    RCHME, 1970, An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Vol2: south-east (HMSO) p336-8 plate 146
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p69-70
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p248
    Hutchins, J., 1861-73 (3edn), History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset (Blandford) Vol440-1
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p348
    Delamotte, 1790 [3edn], Weymouth Guide p37-8 [plan]
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p78
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol2 p80-1
• Journal Articles
  • 1988, Fort Vol16 p45-6
    Morley, B.M., 1983, ‘Sandsfoot Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol140 p71-2
    Oliver, V.L., 1940, 'Tudor Buildings in Weymouth' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol62 p60
    Norman, W.C., 1920, 'Sandsfoot Castle, Weymouth' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol41 p34-38
    Symonds, H., 1914, 'Sandsfoot and Portland Castles' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol35 p27-40 [history]
    Groves, T.B., 1879, 'Note Sandsfoot Castle' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol3 p20-24
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/dorseteng.html#dorset3]