Deal Castle

Popped down to Deal yesterday, a flying business as l spent literally 2 hours there before driving back.  I had to meet a builder there to discuss a patch of damp and a 'salt' issue (salt in the inner plaster is causing the plaster to bubble and flake).
I did get there a bit early so had time to go into town to get some 'first of the season' asparagus and some new broadbeans and rhubarb.  I parked the car in the Deal Castle carpark which is when l took this photo.  It's not your usual looking Castle, quite low and built in a series of semi circles around an inner keep shaped like a tudor rose, it was built between 1539 and 1540 on the orders of Henry V111 as a military fortress with 66 firing positions for cannons.  The reason for the circular design is quite clever l think - any bombardment from foreign powers (France is only 24 miles away) would do less damage hitting a round building, glancing off rather than catching a full wall or corner.  Of course Henry was the main aggressor seemingly constantly at war with his neighbours. Now a days of course England lives peacefully alongside the Continental countries and the east coast is a  more peaceful place.
I stopped at Faversham on the way home for a cuppa and a hot cross bun with friends.