"Besides the above, each head house is to have a trumpeter or drum, and the Great Castle both. Crane's bulwark, Th'ermitaige bulwark, the bulwark at Heigham, and the Castle and three bulwarks at Dover are furnished with ordnance and artillery. To know the King's pleasure whether the garrison at Dover Castle shall be augmented or no." [Illustration: FIG. 36. TILBURY FORT, 1808] In the year 1540 an act of Parliament (32 Hen. VIII, cap. 48), entitled, "The Castell of Dover," was passed in which reference is made to the fact that "the King by his exceeding greate costis and charges hath lately buylded and made nye unto the Sees divers Castellis Blockhouses Bullwarkes and other houses and places of greate defence, within the lymittes of the Fyve Portis and their membres or betwene the same, in the shires of Kent and Sussex for the saufegard and suerty of this his Realme and subjectis of the same...." [Illustration: FIG. 37. GENERAL PLAN OF HENRY VIII'S BLOCKHOUSES ON KENT AND SUSSEX COASTS] The act is really framed to give power and authority to the Warden of the Cinque Ports and the Constable of Dover Castle, "which now is and comunely heretofore hath ben one personne" over the newly built Blockhouses. The act was passed in the year when the building of the castles was completed. [Illustration: FIG. 38. SANDOWN CASTLE] In making a careful examination of these buildings one is struck with the fact that we find a certain unity of idea running through the designs and plans. Deal, the largest and most complicated of the series on the east coast of Kent, has a central circular tower with a diameter of 58 feet, and from it project six small inner lunettes and six much larger outer lunettes. The walls are no less than 20 feet thick at the foundations, and about 11 feet thick at the summit. The whole building is surrounded by a moat and was originally approached by a drawbridge. The circular central tower and the surrounding lunettes, or bastions, are roofed with very thick arched masonry work, and are pierced with 52 port-holes below for scouring the moat, and funnels, or chimneys, were conveniently arranged for carrying away the smoke of the fire-arms. Larger embrasures were provided for cannon. It is believed that these chimney-like openings were intended to be used as machicolations by means of which the invaders could be harassed should they obtain admission to the fortress. [Illustration: FIG. 39. DEAL CASTLE]