St Michael's Mount; a castle, a monastery and first beacon in the chain to alert Elizabeth I that the Armada was coming.

/ St Michael's Mount/

Why visit St Michael’s Mount? Getting there is an adventure. You can walk at low tide across a causeway or go on a short boat trip. On landing, you then have the challenge of getting to the top. From the mainland it cries out to be visited and from the top you get some great views. Pilgrims have visited it for centuries. It has survived a variety of historic events such as the Wars of the Roses, Spanish Armada and the Napoleonic Wars. It has been altered so many times over the years that each room in the mix takes you to a new part of its history. It has a unique and fascinating collection of artefacts. There is no guessing what you will see in the next room.

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Why did Henry VIII build Southsea Castle and what has it to do with his wives and the Mary Rose?

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Why did Henry VIII build Southsea Castle and what has it to do with his wives and the Mary Rose? All these questions and more are answered in this blog. Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon caused him grave problems with the Pope and Kings of France and Spain. To save his throne from disaster, he built Southsea Castle to a new revolutionary design. Only a year after it was completed, a French fleet was present in the solent ready to attack and disaster struck. Henry based at Southsea Castle saw his premier ship, the Mar Rose, sink in front of his eyes without a shot being fired. Post Tudor history of Southsea Castle is also covered along with information and photos of what visitors to Southsea Castle can expect to see on a visit.

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Harlech castle; a fascinating castle with an awesome view

/ Harlech Castle/
Harlech castle; a fascinating castle with an awesome view

Harlech castle; a fascinating castle with an awesome view. Harlech is a beautiful castle and very different from castles nearby and elsewhere in Britain. Approaching the entrance with four majestic round towers in front of you creates an awesome medieval scene. You can walk nearly a whole circuit around the wall walk and get spectacular views of Snowdonia, the sea and the interior of the castle. Harlech has an amazing twin towered gatehouse and is concentric in design. Looking at Harlech from the shore, Harlech is at the top of a rocky promontory and towers over everything. It can be seen for miles. It is one of Edward I’s “Iron Ring” of castles in his quest for the English to control Wales in perpetuity.

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Caernarfon Castle: one of the best preserved medieval castles in Britain and a world heritage site.

/ Caernarfon Castle/
Caernarfon Castle: one of the best preserved medieval castles in Britain and a world heritage site.

Caernarfon Castle: one of the best preserved medieval castles in Britain and a world heritage site. The famous diarist, Dr Samuel Johnson described it as, “an edifice of stupendous majesty and strength”. Walking around the outside of the castle, you will see just how big a castle’s wall can be and how it appears, even today, to be totally impregnable. There is not a castle like it in Britain, with twelve, stunning, polygonal towers. It is described by Malcolm Hislop as Edward’s definitive castle and his most ambitious project when considering its sheer size and its elaborate town walls. There are lots of things to explore inside the castle and so many battlements to walk around and spiral staircases to climb. If you have been to other castles built in the 11th and 12th centuries you will notice how much had transformed in castle design of the 13th century. At Caernarfon there are loads of innovations. Caernarfon cost £27 000 to build which was a vast sum in the 13th century and lets you know what to expect. (By comparison, Harlech Castle, built at the same time cost £10 000, still a lot of money but small in comparison) The Treasury less than this in taxation in a whole year!

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Warwick Castle, home of the Kingmaker

/ Warwick Castle/

Warwick castle is one of the finest in the UK and a historical feast for all ages. For history geeks, there are a lot of historical features to seek out, such as its amazing barbican.It was very much at the centre of English history after William the Conqueror gained powering 1066 and played a huge part in the Wars of The Roses as the home of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, who became known as the Kingmaker. Everyone will be amazed by the huge catapult known as a trebuchet, the largest one in Europe and will be thrilled other activities like falconry displays and archery.

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What were the Wars of the Roses?

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The “Wars of the Roses” was a long civil war between two families, both claiming the throne of England. A series of battles lasted from 1455 to 1487 and was the longest period of civil war in England. In 1461, 50 00 men took part in the Battle of Towton of which 28 000 were slaughtered. This figure is worse than the horrific number who died on the first day Battle of the Somme in 1916, often cited as the worst ever casualty total in one day. Key participants in these battles were, for the Lancastrians, Henry VI, and Henry VII and for the the Yorkists, Edward IV and Richard III. The Earl of Warwick switched sides and after his death, he became known as the “Kingmaker” for helping Edward IV to gain the crown and Henry VI to reclaim it. The ultimate victor was the first Tudor, Henry VII whose aim was to die a natural death in his bed and be succeeded by his son without any hassle, the young Henry VIII.

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