Langar Point was a Device Fort in Felixtowe, Essex, England. Built in 1540 to protect the entrance to Harwich harbour, the fort saw only brief service, and Landguard Fort now occupies the site.
History
In 1533, King Henry VIII broke with Pope Paul III in order to annul the long-standing marriage to his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and remarry. Catherine was the aunt of King Charles V of Spain, who took the annulment as a personal insult. As a consequence, France and the Empire declared an alliance against Henry in 1538, and the Pope encouraged the two countries to attack England. An invasion of England now appeared certain; that summer Henry made a personal inspection of some of his coastal defences, which had recently been mapped and surveyed: he appeared determined to make substantial, urgent improvements.
Henry VIII gave instructions through Parliament in 1539 that new defences were to be built along the coasts of England, beginning a major programme of work that would continue until 1547. The order was known as a “device”, which meant a documented plan, instruction or schema, leading to the fortifications later becoming known as the “Device Forts”. The initial instructions for the “defence of the realm in time of invasion” concerned building forts along the southern coastline of England, as well as making improvements to the defences of the towns of Calais and Guisnes in France, then controlled by Henry’s forces. Commissioners were also to be sent out across south-west and south-east England to inspect the current defences and to propose sites for new ones.
Langar Point was constructed in 1540 at Felixstowe to protect the entrance to Harwich harbour. It took the fort of an earthwork fort, with a garrison of two officers and up to six men, positioned on the shore. In 1543, plans were made for a replacement stone blockhouse, similar to Southsea Castle, but the work was not taken forward.
The fort was decommissioned in 1552. Further plans were made for a bulwark at the site in 1588, but it is unclear what work, if any, was carried out. Landguard Fort was later built on the site.
Bibliography
- Colvin, H. M.; Ransome, D. R.; Summerson (1982). The History of the King’s Works, Volume 4: 1485-1660, Part 2. London, UK: HMSO. ISBN 0116708328.
- Essex County Council. (2006) Extensive Urban Survey – Essex: Historic Towns Assessment Report. Essex, UK: Essex County Council.
- Hale, John R. (1983). Renaissance War Studies. London, UK: Hambledon Press. ISBN 0907628176.
- Harrington, Peter (2007). The Castles of Henry VIII. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781472803801.
- Morley, B. M. (1976). Henry VIII and the Development of Coastal Defence. London, UK: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. ISBN 0116707771.
Attribution
The text of this page is licensed under under CC BY-NC 2.0.