Hurst Castle

Built as one of Henry VIIIs coastal defences to keep the marauding Spanish Armada out, Hurst Castle stands at the entrance to the Solent opposite the Isle of Wight. The original Tudor Keep with a few modern repairs can be seen on the right. Whilst not picturesquely beautiful it is a fascinating place with a great history in the defence of our country. It was used during the two world wars and was used up until quite recently as our son who was in the Royal Marines used to go on assault raiding practise from the water there.
They no longer do this because the walls are in an unsafe state.  (Use discontinued more to protect the castle than the RMs I should think).
In fact the whole place is a bit ramshackle and is suffering from coastal erosion , weathering and general old age. 
You can get to it by a two mile walk along a shingle spit or by ferry. We chose ferry from Keyhaven.
We were lucky enough to see the Paddlesteamer Waverley back in service after boiler repairs. (In the extra,very cropped )