CAMBER CASTLE

Sussex

It is odd that the only King Henry VIII Castle along the long and vulnerable coast of Sussex is Camber - which is right up one end anyway!  Visitors to Camber Castle should beware - for a start it is on the other side of Rye from Camber, it is also a long long walk from anywhere.  It is worth the walk however.

The Castle is unique amongst Henry's Castles in that it was begun before Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon - the central tower dates to 1512, having been built to protect Rye harbour. Like all of Henry's Castles it was built on the coast...the coast has long since left the Castle high and dry (it is today well over a mile inland).

After the invasion scare following the divorce, the more familiar "Tudor Rose" pattern bastions were added, in 1539-40.  This was later adapted into what we see today; a mirror of Castles like Deal and Walmer in Kent.

A century after its construction Camber Castle had become redundant thanks to the vanishing sea.  Charles I ordered it demolished, but thankfully the order was never carried out.

Camber has spent much of the last 20 years hidden under scaffolding as part of a long programme of repair work which was finally completed in 1997.  The Castle exterior is always available to view and the interior is open at certain times during the summer.  Check with English Heritage or Rye Heritage Centre for opening times.

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© Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions, Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Photos and Artwork - Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
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2009