The first castle on this site dates from soon after the Norman invasion and was built to control newly conquered Welsh territory and defend the English borderlands from Welsh raiders. A motte or man-made mound was created within an existing earth rampart and topped with a timber tower. In the 12th century this wooden castle …
Climb to the top of this 1000 year old Norman Castle for stunning panoramic views across Sussex. The adjoining Barbican House is home to the Museum of Sussex Archaeology and houses local collections from the Stone Age to medieval times. A mini-cinema tells the story of Lewes from prehistoric to Victorian times. Please see our …
Lambeth Palace has been ? for nearly 800 years ? the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose original residence was in Canterbury, Kent.[2] Originally called the Manor of Lambeth or Lambeth House, the site was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200 AD and has the largest collection of records of the Church in …
This picturesque fortified mansion was built for Lord Hastings, who was?dramatically seized and executed?by Richard III in 1483. Hastings? descendants still believe they have a direct line to the throne of England. Explore the atmospheric moated remains, the fine gatehouse, and complete corner tower of this brick-built mansion, which have been extensively conserved by English …
A stark symbol of power, Chirk Castle was completed in 1310 during the reign of the conquering Edward I to subdue the last princes of Wales. Built on an outcrop above the meeting point of the rivers Dee and Ceiriog, the imposing silhouette of the castle was a brooding statement of English intent in these …
The impressive ruins of Moreton Corbet Castle are the product of over five hundred years of building. The original fortified house of about 1100, probably built of timber, was replaced in stone about 1200, and the Corbet family ambitiously remodelled the building in the 16th century. By the 18th century, however, the castle had been …
Maxstoke Castle is a privately owned moated castle dating from medieval times situated to the north of Maxstoke, Warwickshire, England. It was built by Sir William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, in 1345 to a rectangular plan, with octagonal towers at each angle, a gatehouse on the east, and a residential range on the …
Built in the 12th century for Henry II, the polygonal keep of Orford Castle is a landmark in the Suffolk landscape. Its design makes it one of England’s more unusual castles, matched by its history. This site has seen drama of all kinds, from civil war to betrayal and from local legend to local lunches. …
Skenfrith Castle (Welsh: Castell Ynysgynwraidd) is a ruined castle in the village of Skenfrith in Monmouthshire, Wales. The fortification was established by the Normans in the wake of the invasion of England in 1066, to protect the route from Wales to Hereford. Possibly commissioned by William fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, the castle comprised …
Built largely between 1531 and 1536 by Henry VIII, much of the original red-brick building erected by Henry VIII still survives today, including the Chapel Royal, the gatehouse, some turrets and two surviving Tudor rooms in the State apartments. It was in St. James’s Palace in 1558 that Mary Tudor signed the treaty surrendering Calais. …
The early historian of Staffordshire Robert Plot cited the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (104) for evidence that ?thelfl?d, the Saxon warrior-princess and ruler of the Mercians, built a castle at Stafford in the year 913, along with an adjacent burg (meaning a fortified town). However, the exact site of this first castle, probably made of wood, is …
A few walls are all that remain of the palace of the powerful Bishops of Winchester, one of the largest and most important buildings in medieval London. THE GREAT HALL Founded in the 12th century by Bishop Henry of Blois, brother of King Stephen, Winchester Palace was built to house the bishops in comfort when …
Wigmore was one of many castles built close to the England?Wales border after the Norman Conquest. Founded in 1067 by William Fitz Osbern, it was a major centre of power for over 500 years, and played host to several kings and queens. It was held by the Mortimer family from about 1075 to 1425, when …
White Castle (Welsh: Castell Gwyn), also known historically as Llantilio Castle, is a ruined castle near the village of Llantilio Crossenny in Monmouthshire, Wales. The fortification was established by the Normans in the wake of the invasion of England in 1066, to protect the route from Wales to Hereford. Possibly commissioned by William fitz Osbern, …
The Bishop’s Palace and accompanying Bishops House at Wells in the English county of Somerset, is adjacent to Wells Cathedral and has been the home of the Bishops of the Diocese of Bath and Wells for 800 years. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. Building of the palace …
Upnor Castle is an Elizabethan artillery fort located on the west bank of the River Medway in Kent. It is in the village of Upnor, opposite and a short distance downriver from the Chatham Dockyard, at one time a key naval facility. The fort was intended to protect both the dockyard and ships of the …
The castle was built on land previously owned by the St Martin family, but when Sir Lawrence de St Martin died in 1385 it was handed over to John, the fifth Baron Lovell, for reasons unknown.[2] It was built using locally quarried Tisbury greensand,[3] with William Wynford as the master mason,[2] after Baron Lovell had …
The castle, on a rock to the east of the town above All Saints’ Church,[1] was constructed in approximately 1070 by Ilbert de Lacy.[2] on land which had been granted to him by William the Conqueror as a reward for his support during the Norman Conquest. There is, however, evidence of earlier occupation of the …
Guildford Museum is the main museum is in the town of Guildford, Surrey, England. The museum is on Quarry Street, a narrow road lined by pre-1900 cottages running just off the pedestrianised High Street. This main site of the museum forms the gatehouse and annex of Guildford Castle, which the staff help to run. It …
Old Beaupre Castle (Welsh: Hen Gastell y Bewpyr; also known as Beaupre Castle, Old Beaupre Manor, or simply Beaupre) is a ruined medieval fortified manor house located in the community of Llanfair, outside Cowbridge in Wales. It is known in historic documents under the names Beawpire, Bewerpere, Bewpyr and Y Bewpur. It is a Grade …
Sizergh Castle and Garden is a stately home and garden at Helsington in the English county of Cumbria, about 4 miles (6 km) south of Kendal. The castle, a grade I listed building,[1] is in the care of the National Trust along with its garden and estate. It is the home of the Hornyold-Strickland family. …
Piel Castle, also known as Fouldry Castle or the Pile of Fouldray, is a castle situated on the south-eastern point of Piel Island, off the coast of the Furness Peninsula in north-west England. Built in the early-14th century by John Cockerham, the Abbot of neighbouring Furness Abbey, it was intended to oversee the trade through …
Penllyn Castle is a Norman architecture castle, located in Cowbridge, 4 miles (6.4 km) south-east of Bridgend, South Wales. Built by Robert Fitzhamon in 1135, the sheriff Earl of Gloucester, it shares an oblong tower like contemporary Ogmore Castle.[1][2] The high-location was chosen as it gave clear-view over both the River Thaw and Ewenny River …
Prior to the 1066 Norman conquest, the castle was held by Sir John de Mitford, whose only daughter and heiress, Sybilla Mitford, was given in marriage by William the Conqueror to the Norman knight, Richard Bertram.[3] In the late 11th century, it was an earthwork fortress of the Bertram family, and of record as William …
Family, Experiences, and more. Making memories you’ll never forget.
