SOUTHSEA CASTLE

Built in 1544, Southsea Castle is one of the many fortifications built under Henry VIII to protect England from invasion from the Continent. Indeed, it is said that he himself drew up the plans. At the time, it was the most ambitious coastal defense project since the Roman occupation. Today, it gives Southsea's seafront its distinctive character and offers a vast panorama of the open sea and the Isle of Wight, making it a pleasant place to visit and stroll around.