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Step inside a wealth of history on a day trip to Hurst Castle, arguably one of the best days out in the New Forest. Enjoy a fascinating day out for the whole family with lots of open spaces, different rooms, nooks and crannies to explore plus centuries of military history to discover.
Explore Hurst Castle's history: Find opening hours, ticket info, and ferry times for a memorable family visit to this Tudor fortress.
Getting to Hurst Castle is all part of the experience. Catch a ferry from Keyhaven and enjoy a leisurely boat trip to the castle where you can spot the abundant wildlife on your way or work off some energy and take the 2-mile walk along the shingle spit to the castle.
Bring your family along and step back in time at Hurst Castle’s Tudor keep – a Tudor fortress on the south coast of England. This mighty Tudor stronghold was built by the infamous King Henry VIII as a coastal sea defence between 1541 and 1544.
With centuries of military heritage to discover, amazing views and much more, Hurst Castle is a well-established group-friendly venue. Plus receive a 15% discount to all pre-booked groups of 11 visitors or over.
Hurst Castle is managed on behalf of English Heritage by Hurst Marine, a local, family business that has been associated with the castle for more than 3 generations. Hurst Marine is responsible for the day to day running of the castle as a visitor attraction, the castle café and the ferry service.
Hurst Today. With the new era of guided missiles, fixed defences such as Hurst Castle became obsolete. In 1956, coastal artillery was abolished, and Hurst Castle came into the care of English Heritage.
This timeline explores the key moments in Hurst Castle’s history, from its Tudor origins to its later adaptations during times of national emergency.
From its beginnings as one of King Henry VIII’s chain of artillery fortresses in 1544, Hurst Castle – unusually for a Tudor castle – remained in military use until 1956, playing an active role through both world wars.
Discover the history of King Henry VIII's Hurst Castle including its origins as a spit and its development during Tudor times.