England was at this time under threat of invasion by the French.

Detail of Westover on the left reads:
“From Christchurch to Bournemouth there is 7 miles and fewer, landings within quarter of a mile of land”
”Bournemouth where is fair landing”

1574: By now the threat is not from France but from Spain.

“First we find at Bournemouth within the west bay at Christchurch a place very easy for the enemy to land there containing by estimation one quarter of a mile in length, being void of all inhabiting.
“Captains: Ambrose, Calowey, Browne:
“We find more a place called Bascome within the said bay which is also an easy place for the enemy to land containing in length a flight shot. “We find more one other like place within the same bay betwixt Red Cliff and Hensbury End, called low land containing in length by estimation half a mile and the sea over against the same place is of depth 8 or 9 fathoms, having very good anchor hold within the same.”

Captains Anthony Barowe and William Westbury are responsible for the area surrounding Chessell End leading to Hurst Castle. The names Barrowe and Westbury are associated with the defences at Christchurch and Bournemouth at different times. [PRO State Papers Domestic. 1574 corresponds to a gap in the papers represented only by SP12 93/2, a “Safe Room Extract”. Quoted in full in Mate & Riddle’s Bournemouth 1810-1910 pp 6 &7.]

1576-1580: John Rolfe, woodward of Holdenhurst Wood paid homage at the manorial court of Christchurch and was instructed to use the “roots” of oaks and elms from Holdenhurst Wood and the waste of Westover for the repair of the beacons. These “roots” may have been old pollard stools. [HCRO 51M74/M11 & M12 Court books for the hundred and manor of Ringwood and Christchurch, 1576-80]

1585: ‘The description of the haven of Portesmouth’: map of the coast of Dorset and Hampshire from Portland to Southsea, including the Isle of Wight, showing churches and fortifications. With a note indicating landing places, guard commanders and numbers of men.

“From Christchurch Haven to Bournemouth for the most part good landing with small boats, and their shipping may safely ride within half a mile of the shore in great number. For the guard of this place is appointed William Barrowe, gent, with 200 men.” [PRO MPF 1/208 Extracted from SP 12/182 (folios 96-98).]

September 1585:

“On the west part of the hundred of Christchurch at a place called Bournemouth within the tything of Muscliffe the enemy may safely land, and many vessels of great burden may lie within half a league of the said shore, wherefore there would be made some bulwark or ditch of defence 40 lugs in length.” [PRO SP12/182 no.20]

1587: Map of the Hampshire and Dorset coast from Portsmouth to Purbeck, including Southampton Water and the north coast of the Isle of Wight from St Helens to the Needles. Shows churches, castles, and towers roughly drawn. “At Bournemouth there is a small fortification” [PRO MPF 1/135]

1588: Expeditionis Hispanorum in Angliam vera descriptio. Anno Do. MDLXXXVIII. R. Adamo authore. A. Ryther sculpsit / [by] Adams, Robert ; Pine, John ; Ryther, Augustine. 1590. Includes maps of Armada’s progress along the English Channel including south of Dorset. [British Library 192.f.17.(2.) // C.7.c.1.(2.) // K.T.C.113.b.11. // C.36.f.13. // 292.e.9.(1.) // K.T.C.113.b.11. // C.36.f.13.]

1630: Map of the coast of Hampshire and Dorset, from Christchurch to the Island of Portland and the Chesil Bank. [PRO MPF 1/292/2]

This tower on St. Catherine's Point at Canford Cliffs, and photographed in 1880, is referred to in a 1915 publication as "a Martello tower, said to have been built with stones from Beaulieu Abbey". Although the tower is long since gone, it is commemorated in the street name of "Martello Park". True Martello towers were constructed from about 1800, but in England only in Sussex, Kent, Essex and Suffolk.

Although this tower resembles the one depicted on the 1539 map above, it was in fact built as a folly in about 1857 for the Branksome Park Estate. [Thanks to Fraser Donachie for this information, from Brannon's ‘The Illustrated Historical & Picturesque Guide to Bournemouth’ 1856 edition].

In 1539, Beaulieu Abbey (and indeed Christchurch Priory) had been very recently dissolved and many of their buildings pulled down. The stone might indeed have been put to good effect in raising fortifications against the Spanish threat, but not in the construction of this particular tower.

FURTHER RESEARCH:

PRO E 101/462/7, Account of works at castles and forts in Dorset 1585/6.
PRO WO 332/31, Judgements and decrees of the commission for purchase of lands for erection of forts and batteries upon the coasts of Kent, Sussex and Southampton (Hampshire). 1762.
PRO MPI 1/152/5, Map of the coast from Calshot Castle to St Alban's Head, showing defences. Scale: 1 inch to 3 miles. 1805.
PRO SP 36/70, Earl of Shaftesbury to [Newcastle] relating to the defence of Dorset in particular the ports of Lyme Regis, Weymouth and Poole. Encloses a copy of the information under oath of William Best of Hamworthy, carpenter, dated at Shaftesbury, 5 Oct., relating to the alleged storage of arms in or near the house of Sir John Webb at Canford Magna, or in the houses of other papists in the area. Folio 164. 1745
PRO SC 8/107/5327, Petitioners: Commons of Dorset. Addressees: King. Places mentioned: Dorset; Somerset. Other people mentioned: [Robert Wyvil,] Bishop of Salisbury; Robert fitz Payn; John Maltravers; Roger Chaundos (Chandos); Brian de Gouyz; William Everard. Nature of request: The petitioners request that the bishop, fitz Payn, Maltravers, Chaundos, Gouyz and Everard be appointed keepers of the peace in Dorset; that the archers ordained to go with the king should remain in the county for the defence of the coast; and that the sheriff be ordered to bring armed men from Somerset into Dorset for the security of the county. 1338.