Sandsfoot Castle Remains

Sandsfoot Castle is a coastal fort built around 1541 for Henry VIII. It is now in ruins and constructed from Portland rubble, with some remaining ashlar stonework. The fort was part of Henry VIII's coastal defense system, costing £3,887 and 4 shillings and 1 penny to build. Originally, it featured a central block with two storeys and a basement, a northwest entrance gate, and an octagonal gun-room facing the sea.

The outer walls and gatehouse are partially intact but have significantly decayed, while the gun-room has mostly eroded away due to coastal conditions. The entry front shows remnants of the left side of the gatehouse above a low arch entry, with unfaced walling on either side. The right side retains parts of the wall from the basement, ground, and first floors, with notable ashlar remains at the upper level featuring four large openings with deep reveals and steep sloping sills. Below, there are six lights with peaked heads and five square-headed openings at the basement level. The opposite flank has four deep casements, some with ashlar facing, above four openings at the main level, while the basement on this side is below ground level.

Inside, the structure is completely unroofed and lacks floors or fittings, except for remnants of a fireplace and doorways at the seaward end. Historically, the castle experienced early erosion, noted as early as 1584, was abandoned for military use in 1644-1645, and later served as a store until 1691. It holds significance as one of the coastal defenses built for Henry VIII, with the nearby Portland Castle still standing complete.