Maiden Castle is an Iron Age hill fort 1.6 miles (2.6 km) south west of Dorchester, in the English county of Dorset.[1][2] Hill forts were fortified hill-top settlements constructed across Britain during the Iron Age. The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the site consists of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure and bank barrow. In …
The imposing ruins of Peveril Castle stand high above the pretty village of Castleton in the heart of Derbyshire’s Peak District. Mentioned in the Domesday survey, Peveril Castle is one of England’s earliest Norman fortresses. The keep was built by Henry II in 1176. A climb to the castle at the top of the hill …
Glandyfi Castle is a Grade 2 listed Regency gothic revival castle set high above the Dyfi estuary with dramatic views of the estuary and sea beyond. On the edge of the Welsh Biosphere and overlooking the RSPB reserve, the views from the front are of the estuary and the mountains of Snowdonia. At the back …
Berry Castle is a small Iron Age hilltop enclosure (formerly known as a hillfort) which is believed to be about 2600 years old. This type of ancient monument is rare with around 150 examples recorded in Britain and the majority occurring in North Devon and North Cornwall. They date to between the Late Bronze Age …
The castle is located in what was once the very volatile border area between England and Scotland. Not only did the English and Scots fight, but the area was frequently attacked by Vikings. The castle was built in 1550, around the time that Lindisfarne Priory went out of use, and stones from the priory were …
Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built castle, dating from the 15th century, near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England. It is one of the oldest significant brick buildings still standing in England.[1] The castle was renowned for being one of the first buildings to use that material in England, and was built using bricks taken from the local …
Hensol Castle dates back to at least 1419. From its early days to the present, a succession of different owners have altered, improved and added their own individual tastes and designs. The Hensol estate was first found to be owned by the Jenkins family (1419-1721). Judge David Jenkins was a man of great force and …
The ruins of Sutton Scarsdale Hall, with tantalising remnants of a once majestic interior, offer the visitor an opportunity to view the ?skeleton? of the building ? impossible in more complete country houses. The approach to the hall today is along a narrow driveway. Its spectacular location on a hillside is immediately apparent. The roofless …
Described by Simon Jenkins in ?1000 Best Houses? as ?the most perfect house to survive from the middle ages?. Set in the heart of the beautiful Peak District National Park, parts of the house date from the 12th Century, sitting like a jewel in its Elizabethan terraced gardens, and overlooking the River Wye. Film-makers flock …
Fonmon Castle (Welsh: Castell Ffwl-y-mwn) is a fortified medieval castle near the village of Fonmon in the Vale of Glamorgan and a Grade I listed building.[1] With its origins rooted in the 12th century it is today seen as a great architectural rarity, as it is one of few buildings that was drastically remodeled in …
Dunster Castle is a former motte and bailey castle, now a country house, in the village of Dunster, Somerset, England. The castle lies on the top of a steep hill called the Tor, and has been fortified since the late Anglo-Saxon period. After the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century, William de Mohun …
Coity Castle (Welsh: Castell Coety) in Glamorgan, Wales, is a Norman castle built by Sir Payn “the Demon” de Turberville (fl. 1126), one of the legendary Twelve Knights of Glamorgan supposed to have conquered Glamorgan under the leadership of Robert FitzHamon (d. 1107), Lord of Gloucester. Now in ruins, it stands in the community of …
Southsea Castle was one in a series of forts constructed for King Henry VIII, in what was the most ambitious scheme of coastal defence since Roman times. The castle was built in great haste in 1544, prompted by Henry VIII’s fears of a French attack on Portsmouth. It was said to have been designed by …
Caldicot Castle (Welsh: Castell Cil-y-coed) is an extensive stone medieval castle in the town of Caldicot, Monmouthshire, in southeast Wales, built near the site of Harold Godwinson’s former Saxon castle by the Norman earls of Hereford from about 1100.[1] The castle became a Grade I listed building on 10 June 1953.[2] It was in the …
Beeston Castle is a former Royal castle in Beeston, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ537593), perched on a rocky sandstone crag 350 feet (107 m)[1] above the Cheshire Plain. It was built in the 1220s by Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, (1170?1232), on his return from the Crusades. In 1237, Henry III took over …
Archaeological excavations have shown that the first castle on the site was a Norman motte and bailey, built sometime in the mid 11th century. Following the Norman Conquest, the Umfraville family took over control of the castle. Robert d?Umfraville was formally granted the barony of Prudhoe by Henry I but it is likely that the …
Tickets for Edinburgh Castle (as part of a combination ticket pass) Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland from its position on the Castle Rock. Our The Royal Edinburgh Pass gives you: Fast-Track access to Edinburgh Castle Fast-Track access to Holyrood Palace Fast-Track access to Royal Yacht Britannia Access to the Edinburgh …
Bolsover Castle is in the town of Bolsover, (grid reference SK471707), in the north-east of the English county of Derbyshire. Built in the early 17th century, the present castle lies on the earthworks and ruins of the 12th-century medieval castle; the first structure of the present castle was built between 1612 and 1617 by Sir …
Nunney Castle is a medieval castle at Nunney in the English county of Somerset. Built in the late 14th century by Sir John Delamare on the profits of his involvement in the Hundred Years War, the moated castle’s architectural style, possibly influenced by the design of French castles, has provoked considerable academic debate. Remodelled during …
The magnificent keep at Conisbrough Castle is one of South Yorkshire?s most striking landmarks. The castle was the centre of a great Norman lordship, given by William the Conqueror to William de Warenne. The keep was probably built in the 1170s or 1180s. Escaping damage in the Civil War, it became a picturesque ruin in …
Codnor Castle is a ruined 13th-century castle in Derbyshire, England. The land around Codnor came under the jurisdiction of William Peverel after the Norman conquest.[1] Although registered as a Scheduled Ancient Monument[2] and Grade II Listed Building[3] the site is officially, as at 2016, a Building at Risk.[4] The castle is a stone keep and …
Bodiam Castle (/?bo?di?m/) is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years’ War. Of quadrangular plan, Bodiam Castle has no …
Farleigh Hungerford Castle, sometimes called Farleigh Castle or Farley Castle, is a medieval castle in Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset, England. The castle was built in two phases: the inner court was constructed between 1377 and 1383 by Sir Thomas Hungerford, who made his fortune as steward to John of Gaunt. The castle was built to a …
The hill forts of Lambert’s Castle and Coney’s Castle are less than a mile apart so you can easily explore them both in a day. Each one has a different character, but both have a rich past. Lambert’s Castle is the site of an Iron Age hill fort constructed by the local tribe dating back …
Family, Experiences, and more. Making memories you’ll never forget.
