England

Ravensworth Castle is located in the village of Lamesley, the borough of Gateshead, Tyne, and Wear. History of Ravensworth Castle The castle was built in three different phases. In the 14th century, a quadrangular castle was built, which still survives to this date, although it is in poor condition. From the original building two corner […]

The Tower of London was founded by William I immediately after the Norman Conquest in 1066. It was strategically sited in the southeast angle of the Roman city wall, just downstream from Old London Bridge, commanding open countryside to the east, the Thames and the bridge to the south, and the city to the north

English country house near Woodstock, Oxon, designed by John Vanbrugh for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. It was begun in 1705 and completed around 1725. The gardens, initially laid out by Vanbrugh and Henry Wise, were largely redesigned in 1764–74 by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. History of Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace is regarded as one

History of Woodhouse Castle Reputed to have once been the largest fortified manor house in the West of England, it is amazing that so little remains – not only of the structure but also in historical records. It would appear that the first structure dates back to after the Norman Conquest in 1066 when it

Warwick Castle is one of the best-known medieval castles in England. It is located in Warwick and was built in 1068. Warwick Castle History Warwick Castle is owned by the Tussaud’s Group and is a very popular tourist attraction. Although the castle can get quite crowded with tourists, there is a lot to see and

Kenilworth is an English castle in Warwickshire. History of Kenilworth Castle In 1265 the medieval castle at Kenilworth was granted by Henry III to his second son, Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster, and for the next three centuries, it was passed back and forth between the crown and various noble families. In 1563 the castle

Nonsuch Palace is a former 16th-century English royal palace, built by Henry VIII between 1538 and 1547 on the site of the village of Cuddington, near Ewell (Surrey). Nonsuch Palace Buildings Construction of the Nonsuch Palace began on 22 April 1538, on the anniversary of Henry’s accession. The intention to create a nonpareil was there

Built-in 1190, Middleham Castle today is in the care of English Heritage. Middleham Castle History Construction on the current castle site began in the mid-12th century. Prior to that, a Motte and Bailey-style castle existed in Middleham from the time of William the Conqueror. The original castle consisted of not much more than earthworks and

Helmsley Castle is a medieval castle located in the town of the same name in North Yorkshire. Helmsley Castle History All that remains of the earliest castle erected in the 1120s by Walter Espec are the massive earthworks. Most of the stone structure dates back to the 13th century, which was constructed by Robert de

The Clifford Tower is what remains of York Castle. It is situated in the center of York, North Yorkshire. Clifford’s Tower History The Clifford’s Tower we see today was built in the 13th century by Henry III, but there has been a castle on this site since the time of William the Conqueror. Shortly after

History of Castle Howard Castle Howard is an English country house in North Yorkshire built between 1701 and 1724 by John Vanbrugh for Charles Howard, the 3rd Earl of Carlisle. The gardens were laid out by George London during the same period. One of the largest, grandest, and, architecturally, most important country houses in England,

Rockingham Castle is one of the oldest castles in Northamptonshire. William the Conqueror first recognized the strategic importance of the site of Rockingham Castle. Rockingham Castle History The original design of the Rockingham Castle followed the standard Norman pattern with an outer bailey, or courtyard, containing the Great Hall, chapel, and the garrison’s living quarters,

All that remains of Norwich Castle today is the spectacular Norman keep built high on a mound overlooking the city of Norwich. History of Norwich Castle This stone keep was constructed by order of the King between 1100 and 1120 replacing a wooden structure that stood on the same mound dating back to the Norman

The Wyberts Castle lies close to the medieval village center. It has earth ramparts and a moat that has filled in over the years but which is still quite marshy. There is a causeway across the moat on the south side, but this is probably a modern crossing. Originally, the moat would have encircled the

Tattershall Castle History The first castle, which was founded by a license granted to Sir Robert de Tatershall in 1231, had a bailey surrounded by a stone wall and towers, and a wet moat. This castle descended to Ralph, 3rd Baron Cromwell, Treasurer of England from 1433 to 1443, who transformed it into a magnificent

History of Hussey Tower Hussey Tower is all that remains of Hussey Hall, a 15th-century tower house, built by the wealthy landowner Richard Bennington. The Hussey Tower is a three-story brick structure with windows framed in stone and scars in the masonry that show where the range of buildings joined it. Hussey Tower looks like

History of Westenhanger Castle Westhanger Castle is a medieval and later fortified manor house with a medieval chapel and cemetery which passed into Crown ownership in the 16th century. From the late 16th century the castle was back in private ownership with many of the buildings being taken down when the castle was sold again

History of Upnor Castle Upnor Castle was built in 1559 to protect the Queen’s navy when moored in Chatham Reach and later enlarged at the end of the 16th century. Subsequently, it was converted into a magazine establishment in the late-17th century after the Dutch raid on the Medway. The castle was designed by Sir

History of Tonbridge Castle The Tonbridge Castle was built on the north bank of the Medway beside a ford and close to the present bridge. Tonbridge Castle was in existence by 1088 when it was captured by William II. The masonry defenses and shell keep on the motte were probably built in stone during the

Thurnham Castle is located in the northern part of Thurnham, Kent, just 5 km from Maidstone. As with a number of castle sites, it appears this site was in use at the time of the Roman occupation as a watchtower. Later, it was a fortification known as Godard Castle, founded by a Saxon called Godardis.

History of Sutton Valence Castle Currently, the Sutton Valence Castle consists of fragmentary remains of a small 12th or 13th-century castle. The castle and the adjacent settlement of Sutton belonged to Simon de Montfort but were granted to William de Valence, half-brother to Henry III, in 1265 in return for helping to defeat Simon de

History of Stutfall Castle The Stutfall Castle is a Roman fort on the Saxon Shore. The assumed coastline during Roman times would have allowed the fort at Lympne to protect the entrance of a substantial natural harbor in an area now part of Romney Marsh. It is suggested that the surviving remains belong to a

History of Stone Castle Dating from the mid-11th century, the castle was thought to have been built without a license during the reign of King Stephen but later allowed to remain by Henry II on his accession to the throne. In 1165 Thomas A Becket stopped at Stone Castle on his way to Canterbury. It

Originally part of a holding of Bishop Odo of Bayeux and on its forfeiture passed to the Aubervilles. Eventually it came into the hands of Nicholas de Criol in the 13th century. Stockbury Castle is a ringwork with attached semi-circular bailey on. The circular ringwork is roughly half complete, the northern half of the earthworks

Starkey Castle is a stone building of late 14th-century construction with alterations and additions from the early 15th and 18th centuries. Starkey Castle is graded I as one of the most complete surviving stone-built medieval hall-houses in Southern England. The Starkey Castle is located in Wouldham, Rochester, Kent, on the western side of Rochester Road.

History of St Leonard’s Tower St Leonard’s Tower is a tower keep castle situated on a sandstone ledge to the south of the village of West Malling. The tower was built by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester between 1077 and 1108. The castle consists of a tall, ragstone, square keep around 20 m high that originally

Sissinghurst Castle History In the 14th century, the area where Sissinghurst Castle is found was known as Saxingherste, and a family who took the name of De Saxingherste owned the manor. The property passed into the de Berham family by marriage and it was later sold to the Baker family. The Bakers set about making

Located southeast of Lamberhurst, Kent, Scotney Castle is named after the De Scoteni family who held the land here. The river which divides the two counties of Kent and Sussex once ran through the center of the ground on which the house stands. History of Scotney Castle Walter de Scoteni held it in the 13th

Sandown Castle History Built by Henry VIII as part of his coastal defense, it took 18 months to build at a cost of £2887. Similar to Walmer Castle in design and made with recycled stone from a nearby monastery, it was completed in 1540. It was to be guarded by a captain and 34 men,

Sandgate Castle History Sandgate Castle was one of the coastal forts erected by Henry VIII in 1539-1540. It was reportedly the only one that was not used to defend a harbor or an anchorage; instead, it commanded the beach and the coast road to Dover. It was constructed to the design of Stefan von Haschenperg.

Saltwood Castle History The Manor of Saltwood was granted to the Sea of Canterbury in 1026. Archbishop Lanfranc took Saltwood into his personal possession in 1086; it apparently remained the property of the archbishops for much of the Middle Ages. It is possible that a ringwork castle was constructed on the site of a manorial

Rochester Castle History The Rochester Castle at the time of the Domesday survey was built of earth and timber. Work began on the current castle in 1087 by Bishop Gundolf, Bishop of Rochester at his own expense. The castle was to guard the crossing of the Medway and it was to have one of the

Queenborough Castle History Edward III built Queenborough Castle on the Isle of Sheppey, in 1366. Its principal aim was to protect the estuary against French raids. Named after Queen Philippa, the Royal Borough was given its charter in 1368, but the town did not grow as expected with only 23 houses by 1571. The castle

Leeds Castle, though only one of the hundreds of castles in the U.K., is unique in that it has been updated to a comfortable, livable one. It became a royal palace over 700 years ago and has seen no military action for almost that long. The castle lies in a large park on a small

Lympne Castle History Overlooking Romney Marsh, Lympne Castle is built on the same site as Port Lemanis, or Stutfall Castle, as it became known, the last of the Roman Saxon Shore forts located in Kent. Originally the sea came up to the walls of Stutfall Castle, but landslides made it unsafe and it was eventually

Leybourne Castle History Construction of the Leybourne Castle was begun by Roger de Leyburn in 1260 without a license and the justiciar was ordered to stop him and, if necessary, to pull down the castle. At the time Roger was an opponent of Henry III but he later changed sides. It was Roger who saved

Hever Castle History The most famous castle in Kent, Hever was built in 1270 and in the early 1500s was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn (second wife of Henry VIII) who was beheaded in 1536 on a trumped-up charge of incest with her half-brother. The Tudor Long Gallery features 25 costumed figures from Anne Boleyn’s

Hadlow Castle History Hadlow Castle is a 19th-century neo-gothic castle located in Hadlow, Kent. Walter May, who died in 1823, erected the very ornate Gothic building, which he called Walter Hadlow Court Castle. Barton May added the “costly appendages and embellishments” to the building. The tower was used as a watchtower during World War II,

The Folkestone Castle overlooks the village of Folkestone and the entrance to the Channel Tunnel. Folkestone Castle History Folkestone Castle’s date of construction is uncertain but is considered to have been somewhere between the 1070s and the 1130s. There was another earlier Norman castle on the coast at Folkestone, close to a landing place. This

Eynsford Castle History The Eynsford Castle is a pre-Conquest stone structure, probably part of an 11th-century residence that has been revealed by excavation within the enclosure. At the time of Domesday, the castle was held by the Archbishop of Canterbury Ralph son of Unspac. The lower stage of the existing stone curtain wall was built

Dover Castle is located in Kent, England, overlooking the seaport at the narrowest part of the English Channel. The occupation of the site has been traced to the Iron Age. History of the Dover Castle In Roman times Dover was a military settlement and later a Saxon Shore fort. The Pharos lighthouse survives as the

Deal Castle History In 1538 Henry VIII built this fortress in answer to the threat of invasion by France and Spain. In the shape of a Tudor rose, Deal Castle is the largest of the three castles built around the same time, the others being Walmer and Sandown. Inside cavernous, with galleries and barracks, it

Cooling Castle History Cooling Castle was built as a result of the French raid which ravaged this part of Kent in 1379. It was completed in 1385 covering nearly eight acres and consisting of two parallel but unequal wards separated by a moat surrounding both. The Inner Gatehouse is thought to remain standing at almost 10

Chilham Castle is located in the village of Chilham, 6 miles away from Canterbury. The Chilham Castle was placed on a promontory, defending the gap in the Downs made by the river Stour with a straight view down to Canterbury. Chilham Castle was previously used by the monarchy, retained by Henry II, and again in

It consists of a ditch and rampart, now greatly reduced by agriculture, excavations, and rabbit burrowing. The earthwork has every appearance of being Saxon or Danish in origin with the exception of the northeast corner where there appears to be a Norman “mount and bailey” fortification known as Castle Toll. The motte and bailey are

A square, ruined, the late 11th-century tower is all that remains of the former Canterbury Castle. Canterbury Castle History The Canterbury Castle was constructed in the 11th century in the southwest quarter of the city. The walls of its outer bailey were demolished in the late 18th century and since 1826, when the gas and

Allington Castle History Lying by the River Medway, on the site of an earlier manor house owned by Ulnoth, one of the sons of Earl Godwin, this property was given to Bishop Odo following the Norman conquest. On his disgrace, it passed to the crown, and shortly after it was granted to William, Earl of