▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁and ▁def ended ▁the ▁western ▁entrance ▁to ▁the ▁Sol ent ▁water way . ▁The ▁early ▁castle ▁had ▁a ▁central ▁keep ▁and ▁three ▁bast ions , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 7 ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁ 2 6 ▁guns . ▁It ▁was ▁expensive ▁to ▁operate ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁size , ▁but ▁it ▁formed ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁for ts ▁along ▁the ▁coast . ▁During ▁the ▁English ▁Civil ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 4 0 s , ▁Hur st ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁Parliament ▁and ▁was ▁used ▁briefly ▁to ▁det ain ▁King ▁Charles ▁I ▁before ▁his ▁execution ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 9 . ▁It ▁continued ▁in ▁use ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁but ▁fell ▁into ▁dis rep air , ▁the ▁sp it ▁being ▁frequ ented ▁by ▁sm ug gl ers . ▁ ▁Rep airs ▁were ▁made ▁during ▁the ▁Revolution ary ▁and ▁Napole onic ▁Wars ▁with ▁France , ▁and ▁the ▁castle ▁was ▁modern ised ▁to ▁enable ▁it ▁to ▁hold ▁ 2 4 - p ound er ▁( 1 0 . 8   kg ) ▁guns . ▁F resh ▁fear s ▁of ▁invasion ▁followed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁leading ▁to ▁heav ier , ▁ 3 2 - p ound er ▁( 1 4 . 5   kg ) ▁arm ament ▁being ▁installed ▁and ▁new ▁gun ▁batter ies ▁being ▁laid ▁out ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁castle . ▁Techn ological ▁develop ments ▁rapidly ▁made ▁these ▁def ences ▁ob sole te , ▁however , ▁and