William the Conqueror's forces took the site in 1066, and the first castle was built largely of clay. Henry II gave it its recognizable shape, with inner and outer baileys and a great keep attributed to Maurice the Engineer. He spent over 6,500 pounds on it between 1179 and 1188. The infobox gives the 12th century and the text the 11th. The article calls it a Norman castle.
A Roman lighthouse, eight-sided and five levels high, stands inside the walls. William Twiss added bastions during the Napoleonic Wars and replaced the keep roof with brick vaults. Tunnels about 50 feet (15 m) below the cliff top housed troops from 1803. In May 1940 Admiral Bertram Ramsay directed Operation Dynamo from them.
English Heritage owns the castle, which is Grade I listed. The Annexe and Casemate levels are open to the public, while the Dumpy and esplanade levels are closed. It recorded 368,243 visitors in 2019.
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