Netley Castle 1542	Netley Castle 1906
Netley Castle 1990	Netley Castle 2011

Netley Castle

From Abbey Hall there is access to the beach with a walk along the shore path to the rear of Netley Castle which is a Scheduled Monument and listed Grade II property. It was originally converted into a private house in 1881 by Col. Hon. Sir Harry Crichton. The Architect J D Sedding was commissioned to transform the property into a Victorian Gothic style castle, a common whim of the day, adding castellated wings and towers on either side of the original building.

In 1938 it was sold and converted into a Convalescent Home. Following on from that it was sold again and modernised in the 1990s, as nine; two to three bedroom private apartments, a tower house and a boat house. All in a glorious environment steeped in English tradition and history.

Netley Castle history

Recorded September 1844. The castle, is a landmark situated on Southampton Water and was built in 1542-45, six years after the 'dissolution of the monastery’s, near the site of Netley Abbey. The castle or more accurately fort was built from stone taken from the demolished Abbey, some 800 yards away. It was part of Henry VIII's chain of coastal fortifications which are known as Device Forts or Henrician Castles.  They formed coastal defences to defend England against the threat of French and Spanish invasion.

Whilst estimates of the Fort’s exact construction date vary, it was functioning by at least 25 March 1545, when the records for payments to the garrison began. It was one of the twelve forts built under the direction of Sir William Paulet for the defence of Southampton and Portsmouth. The castle was armed and garrisoned until 1647. In 1643 during the Civil War, the then unmanned Castle was raided by Parliamentary forces for its provisions and arms. Its military importance declined and it was eventually sold in 1881.