Castles of Britain

By: Stuart Bazga

Since Greek and Roman times, man has strived to establish some type of a fortification for protection and shelter. Over the pursuing centuries these evolved into a form of military and residential places known as castles.

When William the Conqueror, conquered England in 1066, his armies quickly erected wooden palisades (a fence of stakes or iron railings forming an enclosure or defence) establishing a presence in the former Saxon kingdoms. Many of these fortresses were constructed on sites that had previously been fortified in pre-Roman times, then by the Romans themselves and lastly by the Saxons who established the first kingdoms there.

As times became less turbulent and settled, the Normans became integrated into every day life and were eventually accepted by the local populace. These wooden palisades slowly began to disappear, to be replaced with stone. Any new fortifications built from that time onward were constructed entirely from stone.

In Europe, this manifested into a design consisting of a single tower and outer buildings.

In the mountains there was no shortage of rocky hilltops on which to build these new bastions. In the lower lying areas, however, islands and peninsulas were much sought after for their ease of defence.

In the British Isles the Normans began to dig ditches to create a small hill or mound when one couldn’t be found to build on. These mounds became the first “motte and bailey” castles, some of which were built on top of old Iron Age hill forts.

A “motte” was the conical hill of dirt that was built as the main defence for the “keep”, which was were the Lord and his family resided and sought refuge whilst trying to govern their surrounding territory. The keep was basically a tower with one room per floor and usually contained 3 to 4 floors.

Later, a walled area known as a “bailey” began to appear around the keep with another at the base of the motte. Its function was to help protect the keep’s support functions which grew up around the original tower: grain storage, wood and metal workshops, military barracks, wells, chapels and sometimes a garden or a great hall where formal functions and meetings were held.

Over the intervening years, the design and style of British castles would appear in various forms throughout the castle building era.

Eventually, the motte itself began to be replaced with stone and a new style of British castle began to appear. These castles were built without the motte altogether. The tower keep, however, remained.

The ditch that had separated the “motte” from the bailey became a moat (a deep, wide defensive ditch surrounding a castle or town), either dry or stone-lined, or filled with water from a nearby river or lake. These Moats became a significant part of the castles design.

In the 12th century, the Crusaders began their travels to the Middle East in the name of god, encountered a differing style of castle to that which they had become accustomed to. One of the most popular style of castles encountered had curtain walls with mural towers: palisades but with towers along its length from which to fire on attackers. This developed into concentric walls, giving the besieging army multiple obstacles to overcome just to get into the castle. The tower keep sometimes became part of the wall in this type of fortification.

The advent of gunpowder and the development in weaponry, i.e. muskets and cannon from the 13th to 15th century, saw the rapid decline in the importance of building castles for defence, and yet again, another change in design. Castles had to be built with thicker and thicker walls. Eventually, evolution caught up. Not being able to keep abreast of technological advancements in fire power of the era, the defensive capability of these great castles was severely diminished, causing them to become obsolete.

In the 18th and 19th century British castles were built for very different reasons. The Aristocracy, who were nostalgic for the past, had the most wonderful and splendid castles built for their pleasure. The most passionate of these builders was (Mad King) Ludwig of Bavaria in the 19th century and his fairytale castle - Neuschwanstein.

I hope you enjoyed The Evolution of the British Castle – A short history

If you want to find out about more of the histories that lie behind some of Europe’s most picturesque, mysterious and notorious castles? Unravelling the legends and myths behind some of their most celebrated and not so renowned castles in a voyage of discovery and adventure…!

Then pay a visit to my website at Guide to Castles of Europe.

There you will discover the history and myths of some of Europe’s most famous castles: Windsor Castle, TheTower of London, Dracula’s Castle and Blarney Castle (the home of the Blarney stone) to name a few.

I look forward to sharing in your experiences and discoveries that you have made from your journeys around Europe, visiting her many picturesque and unique Castles. Send me a message with your tales and I will post them on my website, so that the world can discover these hidden treasures too.

Best wishes and have a great day!

Stuart Bazga

About the Author:

A Guide to Castles of Europe was born from childhood dreams and aspirations. It is my hope to educate and stimulate you into exploring these castles for yourselves. © 2005 by http://guide-to-castles-of-europe.com. All rights reserved.

by Tuks Engineer

Aside from it’s beautiful, rugged coastline and red cliffs Devon is home to some very impressive Castles:

Dartmouth Castle - The most striking feature of Dartmouth Castle is that it stands tall right on the banks of the Dart Estuary - a stunning waterside setting. Dartmouth Castle was initially built in the 14th Century, but underwent substantial works in the 15th Century when Henry VIII had it redesigned to be able to better fit his weaponry.

Close to Dartmouth Castle is Kingswear Castle and St Petroc’s Church. Given the beautiful setting (right at the mouth of the Dart Estuary), Dartmouth Castle is well worth a visit - not just to marvel at the history but to enjoy the awesome scenery and perhaps enjoy a picnic. It’s possible to arrive in style via Ferry - taking in the lovely views available from the River Dart along the way.

Totnes Castle - On top of the charming little Devon town of Totnes stands the Norman fortress of Totnes Castle. The views from the top of the castle are outstanding, offering panorama of the entire town and River Dart.

The castle itself was thought to have been built sometime in the 10th Century.

After visiting the castle be sure to enjoy a stroll along the steep, narrow town lanes - they offer a festival of perky shops and some pleasant eateries.

Okehampton Castle - These castle ruins, set at the foothills of Dartmoor, were the medieval home of the Earls of Devon. The Castle offers a free audio tour and after enjoying the stroll around the castle grounds (including the chapel, gatehouse and priests lodgings) you can take in a pleasant woodland walk or relax by the riverside picnic area.

The castle itself dates as far back as the 11th Century.

A highly fascinating side-note - it’s thought that the castle is haunted so be sure not to wander around by yourself once the sun sets!

Berry Pomeroy Castle - About two miles east of Totnes is this former dwelling of the Seymour and Pomeroy families. The castle and Elizabethan mansion was initially built in the 15th Century and underwent expansion towards the end of the 17th Century. This is another castle that is thought to be haunted!

About the Author
Discover The Best Places To Visit In Cornwall & Devon. Explore Ancient Castles & Take Scenic Railroad Journeys. Find Cheap & Luxury Accomodation. Uncover The Nicest Places To Eat And Wonderful Days Out. Travel Cornwall And Devon Today

By Seb Jay

England is a land steeped in history, tradition and legend. It boasts more than 1400 medieval castles across its countryside, many of which are said to be frequented by ghosts, specters and other supernatural occurrences. Here is a delightfully ghoulish list of three of the best ghostly castles to visit…

Chillingham Castle

Billed as “The Most Haunted Castle in Britain”, Chillingham Castle in the county of Northumberland in Northern England is infamous for an entire collection of restless souls. The most famous of the castle’s ghosts is the ‘Blue Boy’, whose agonizing cries are said to wail out at around midnight from a passageway inside the castle close to one of the modern-day self catering apartments. A soft light is then said to engulf a four-poster bed in the room nearby and an image of the boy appear for a few brief seconds. Chillingly, the bones of a boy and fragments of blue clothing were discovered hidden behind a wall in the very vicinity of the noises several years ago.

Old Wardour Castle

Built in the 14th century, Old Wardour Castle in Wiltshire, Southwest England has been labeled as England’s most romantic castle. Set in secluded countryside overlooking a lake the castle was used as a film location for Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Twilight though heralds an altogether more sinister side to Old Wardour for it is here where one Lady Blanche Arundell - a Royalist supporter during the 17th century English Civil War - held out against Cromwell’s Roundheads with her servants in a siege that lasted nearly a month. The castle was eventually captured by the Roundheads and Lady Blanche Arundell promptly imprisoned and executed. It is said that she walks from the castle to the lake in the fading daylight as a chill pervades the air.

Berry Pomeroy Castle

Not far from Dartmoor National Park in Devon is the haunted castle of Berry Pomeroy. Now a romantic ruin this 13th century castle is home to a number of ghostly happenings, the most frequent of which is a sighting of a White Lady. She appears in the dark dungeons below the castle and on top of the castle ramparts, her apparition being reported as recently as 1987. The White Lady is thought to be the spirit of Margaret Pomeroy who was imprisoned in the dungeons by her sister and made to slowly starve to death.

Seb Jay is a freelance writer specializing in the origination of web content for http://www.your-carhire.com

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By Mike Holly

Eastnor Castle was built 100 hundred years ago to provide a luxurious country retreat in Herefordshire, England. Robert Smirke, a well known victorian archirtect, who also worked on the British museum, amongst other high profile commissions, laid out the designs to ensure that a true fairy tale castle was created in the middle of a large estate. Inside the castle each guest room has a unique theme matched to the decor. In addition to this there are many treasures which have been collected over the years including one of the finest collections of medieval armour in Europe.

The owners of Eastnor needed to find a way to pay for upkeep and maintenance so that the buildings and grounds could not just be maintained but also improved. To do this they started by offering society weddings which would take advantage of the superb settings available within the castle and the grounds. From here they branched out to offer corporate entertaining and large scale special events such as the annual Big Chill music festival. Guests are offered their own choice of outdoor activities which can range from 4 wheel drive adventures through to family days out watching the herd of deer which graze on the grounds.

When these activities were combined with a high profile on the internet they found customers arriving from all round the world and many kept coming back.

This success has enabled money to be reinvested in facilities in a manner which is sympathetic to the history of the castle and Eastnor can now look forward to a secure future.

http://www.eastnorcastle.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Holly

By Andrew Stephen

With Summer coming to a glorious climax, the gardens of Hidden England are in full bloom. For garden enthusiasts the opportunities are endless.

Explore more than 10 acres of wonderful gardens in the process of restoration at Easton Walled Gardens - with a cottage garden, turf maze and auricular theatre all new for 2006. Relax in the enchanting mix of formal gardens and semi-wild woodland at Grimsthorpe Castle or in the magical Duchess’s Spring Garden at Belvoir Castle where woodland gardens nestle in a natural amphitheatre.

If rare and unusual plants are your interest you can buy them at Barnsdale Gardens, and at the same time explore the fascinating gardens created for television by the late Geoff Hamilton. Or if a more relaxed lakeside walk is your style than visit Belton House or Burghley - and at Burghley you can also explore the 15 acre Sculpture Park created in the previously lost lower garden created by Capability Brown.

For a fascinating insight in how a formal garden is being transformed see the Gardens of Rockingham Castle. At Rockingham series of new radial yew hedges will provide opportunities for vistas and walkways connecting with the 19th Century Rose Garden.

Work in progress at Rockingham on a series of garden ‘rooms’ designed to contain deep borders of stunning herbaceous andshrub planting, with each room being given a different character.

All the houses and gardens of Hidden England are now open for the Summer Season.

For times and admission costs please visit the Hidden England website. We look forward to seeing you. It’s the perfect time to visit the Gardens of Hidden England.

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By Bruce Burnett

When American multi-millionaire William Wardorf Astor purchased the 500-year old Hever Castle in Kent, England in 1903, the place was little better than a picturesque ruin.

Built in 1270, Hever Castle was bought by Geoffrey Bullen in 1479. Bullen was a man of humble origins who was to climb the social ladder to become the Lord Mayor of London. One of his grandchildren was the ill-starred Anne Boleyn, the change of surname being part of the social climbing strategy. It was under the ownership of the Bullens that Hever experienced its Gothic drama.

Two years after Anne’s birth at Hever Castle, Henry Tudor, 18, succeeded to the English throne as King Henry VIII. He secretly married Catherine of Aragon, the 24-year-old widow of his elder brother Arthur. Their marriage – a true love match by all contemporary accounts – produced only one child from eight pregnancies. That was a daughter, the future Queen Mary I.

Anne Bullen spent much of her time at court, pushed forward by her ambitious and domineering father. When she was seven she traveled to France in the train of Henry’s sister Mary Tudor, who was to marry King Louis XIII.

By the time Anne was 18 she was back at Hever Castle and the unwilling recipient of the attention of Henry VIII who was by now desperate for the male heir that he believed Catherine could not give him.

King Henry, a Catholic monarch firmly married to Queen Catherine first proposed marriage to Anne in 1527. Anne responded with a letter that said: “Your wife I cannot be, both in respect of my own unworthiness and also because you have a Queen already. Your mistress I will not be.”

The Pope refused Henry’s request for a divorce or annulment.

Undeterred, Henry dramatically removed England from the jurisdiction of the Pope, created the Church of England with himself at its head, dissolved the monasteries and set the reformation in motion. All for the love of Anne Bullen of Hever Castle.

In January 1533 Anne (already pregnant) and Henry were married, although another six months would elapse before Henry’s divorce from Catherine would be finalized under the rules of the new church. Anne changed her name to Boleyn to accord with her new dignity and she was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey on June 1st 1533. Her baby was born on September 7th, but instead of a son it was a girl: the future Queen Elizabeth 1.

The castle was then appropriated by Henry and in 1540 he gave it to yet another of his wives, Anne of Cleves. Within six months of this marriage they were divorced. Anne retained ownership of Hever Castle for another 17 years.

On the death of Anne of Cleves in 1557, Hever Castle was bought by the Waldegraves and prospered with the fortunes of that family for 160 years.

In 1963, Gavin Astor, the grandson of William Wardorf, opened Hever Castle for the first time to the public.

A small fortune had been spent by William Wardorf in the restoration of the castle, including the construction of an authentic Tudor village containing more than 100 rooms

The fascinating attractions of Hever are too many to list, but a few should be mentioned. The library, for example, is one of the finest examples in Britain of the cabinetmaker’s art. The bookcases and paneling are made from a South American wood called sabicu, which is harder than ebony and so dense that it sinks in water.

The 12-hectare (30 acres) garden should not be missed. It was created by the Astors from marshland and rough meadow in 1904-8 and is now at full maturity. Of special note is the Italian Garden, which contains sculptures and statues dating from Roman times to the Renaissance. They were collected by William Wardorf Astor when he was American Minister in Italy.

Behind the Italian Garden is the Pavilion Restaurant, a licensed, self-service restaurant serving hot and cold meals. The King Henry VIII Inn, opposite the main entrance to Hever Castle, is also open for morning coffee and good pub food at lunchtime. The Anne Boleyn Restaurant is open for dinner.

Hever Castle is near the town of Edenbridge in Kent, 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of London.

Bruce Burnett, has won four Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards for travel journalism. Read more of Bruce Burnett’s travel writing on his websites: http://www.globalramble.com and http://www.bruceburnett.ca/travel.html

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By Susanne Pacher

England is the heartland of Great Britain, one of the great empires throughout history. London itself is a truly modern, cosmopolitan city whose roots are firmly grounded in many centuries of history. Places like the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace (formerly the residence of Princess Diana), Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus and Hyde Park ring a bell everywhere.

Visit one of the many museums in London or simply enjoy a cup of afternoon tea in one of the salons and lounges throughout London. Check out Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks, Westminster Abbey, or St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Outside of London check out Windsor Castle. Overall, England is a veritable treasure chest for castle-lovers. One of the typical ways to travel in England is to enjoy the fabulous hospitality of a private bed & breakfast. The Cotswolds are a beautiful area with rolling hills, featuring stone houses just the way you always ipictured a truly English landscape. Stratford-Upon-Avon is the birthplace of William Shakespeare which is must see for every Shakespeare fan. Performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company will delight theatre buffs.

If you like bigger cities, check out Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Liverpool, home of the Beatles. Britain’s Roman history is apparent in many places, including Hadrian’s Wall near Newcastle. And a visit to Stonehenge will bring you up close to one of history’s mysteries.

England’s lovely coastline can be enjoyed in one of many resort towns. Southend-on-Sea officially offers some of the best beaches of Europe and is well known for its pier, its theatre and music events. In the south east of England, Canterbury’s cathedral is a splendid example of medieval British architecture. In Dover you can catch ferries to the European continent.

As one of the world’s most famous university towns, Oxford has a scenic riverside setting with museums, shops, restaurants and a vibrant entertainment scene. Cambridge, its rival city, has winding streets and splendid architecture and is perfect for a daytrip from London.

Brighton is a beautiful seaside city with gorgeous architecture. The Isle of Wight offers a serene getaway from the hustle and bustle of the cities. Bournemouth is a holiday resort town on the South East coast of England with award-winning beaches, parks and gardens. A visit to England can be the perfect combination of culture, history and relaxation.

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions(http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest(http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

“Life is a Journey ­ Explore New Horizons”.

The interview with photos is published at Travel and Transitions - Interviews

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