Hull Castle, Artillery fort in Kingston upon Hull, England
Hull Castle is an artillery fort in Kingston upon Hull, sitting on the River Hull with two curved bastions and a rectangular keep at its center. It was built using stone from dissolved monasteries and positioned to control the eastern bank of the river.
Henry VIII ordered the fort built in 1542 as part of a coastal defense program against potential French attacks. It remained in military use for around 300 years before losing its purpose in the mid-1800s.
The fort was built directly on the riverbank, at a spot that controlled access to the city from the water. Walking along the river today, visitors can still see remnants of the walls and get a sense of how seriously the port was guarded.
The site is easy to reach on foot along the riverbank path. Some remains are partially below ground level, so it is worth taking time to look carefully at what surrounds you.
Excavations at the site uncovered an early iron cannon known as Henry's Gun, which offers a direct look at weapons technology from the 1500s. It is one of the few surviving examples from this early phase of English coastal defense.
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