▁built ▁at ▁Hur st ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁on wards , ▁one ▁of ▁which , ▁a ▁high ▁l ighth ouse ▁first ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁remains ▁in ▁active ▁service . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁▁ ▁Hur st ▁Castle ▁was ▁built ▁as ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁international ▁t ensions ▁between ▁England , ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁King ▁Henry ▁VIII . ▁Trad itionally ▁the ▁Crown ▁had ▁left ▁coast al ▁def ences ▁to ▁local ▁l ords ▁and ▁communities , ▁only ▁taking ▁a ▁mod est ▁role ▁in ▁building ▁and ▁maintain ing ▁fort ifications , ▁and ▁while ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁Empire ▁remained ▁in ▁conflict , ▁mar itime ▁ra ids ▁were ▁common ▁but ▁an ▁actual ▁invasion ▁of ▁England ▁seemed ▁unlikely . ▁Mod est ▁def ences ▁based ▁around ▁simple ▁block h ouses ▁and ▁to wers ▁existed ▁in ▁the ▁south - west ▁and ▁along ▁the ▁Sus sex ▁coast , ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁more ▁impress ive ▁works ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁England , ▁but ▁in ▁general ▁the ▁fort ifications ▁were ▁limited ▁in ▁scale . ▁W ors ley ' s ▁Tower , ▁for ▁example , ▁built ▁opposite ▁the ▁future ▁site ▁of ▁Hur st ▁Castle ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 2 0 s , ▁was ▁too ▁small ▁to ▁hold ▁powerful ▁art illery ▁and ▁considered ▁by ▁survey ors ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 9 ▁to ▁be ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁worst ▁de vised ▁things " ▁they ▁had ▁seen . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 5 3 3