Visited August 2013

Location	Weymouth, Dorset
Entrance Fee	No
Railway Station Nearby	Weymouth-approx. 2 miles
Parking	On roadside
Facilities	Toilets, Cafe
Map

Review

Today Sandsfoot castle sits quietly in a small park, looking every inch like a medieval ruin. However it is not actually a relic from the middle ages, but a Tudor coastal fort, built by Henry VII to protect England from a feared invasion by the French.  If you compare it to Portland Castle, built around the same time and design but further along the coast, you will see that time has not been kind to Sandsfoot Castle, with major parts of it having slipped away into the sea.

The invasion from France did not materialise, but the castle was utilised again during Elizabeth I's reign to defend against a perceived Spanish threat. It was also used as a mint and a look out post during the civil war.

However its strategic position on the cliff top was actually also its downfall, as the cliff crumbled away the whole of the gun port to the back of the castle slipped into the sea. Further weathering continued over the years, and nothing was done to stop the damage. In the 1930's it was deemed too dangerous to allow public access, and was left rotting behind safety railings. In 2012 it was finally repaired, thanks to a lottery fund grant.

Today it stands in a small public part in a quiet suburb of Weymouth. We popped along on a Sunday morning on our way to Portland Castle (it is worth a little detour if you are heading in that direction)and there was no one else about. There is a café with toilets in the park, and parking is at the roadside.  I would recommend a short stop here if you are ever in the area- the view out over the sea alone is worth it.

One word of caution- the park is situated on a road which has no pavements, so be careful that any children don't step straight out of the park and onto the road, there is nothing to stop them in between!

More info:  Sandsfoot Castle