Castles and Palaces
Every Castle

English Castles

Castles existed in today’s England since Roman times. It was the Normans, though, who developed the castle-making art that we know. The effects of the Norman Conquest in 1066 on architecture were highly visible and long-lasting. The Normans inaugurated a huge program of castle-building and changed the face of the English landscape forever.

There are many castles in other countries in Europe too, but nowhere can you find that many restored castles as in England, partly due to the work of English Heritage. The high number of Castles in England is due to the fact that England was threatened throughout the centuries with an invasion from France, or had never-ending wars with the Scots or the Welsh, so the need of building fortresses was natural.

You will find magnificent castles wherever you are in England. Even if you are in the centre of the capital city, you can visit the astonishing Tower of London. At the border with Scotland, in Northumberland you will find a myriad of castles, and next to the Channel, you’ll find such majestic castles like The Dover Castle.

Some English Castles are very well kept and are currently visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists yearly, like the royal Windsor Castle, the magnificent Leeds Castle or Hever Castle. Some castles stand in ruins like the Kenilworth Castle or Bodiam Castle, but they are still a magnet for visitors from across the world.

Other castles, on the other hand, cannot even be found, like the case of the Camelot Castle, the legendary Arthurian Castle.

Map of England 

England Map

Famous Castles in England

Tower of London
Tower of London

Dover Castle
Dover Castle

Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle