Warriors and Castles: Warkworth Castle, Shakespeare's Harry Hotspur and the mighty Percy family in the Wars of the Roses.

/ Warkworth Castle/

Life in medieval times in the north-east of England was one full of danger with a constant threat of war. Viking raids, as well as raids from Scotland, were a regular problem and from time to time kings of England came to this area to consolidate their power. Warkworth was owned by the powerful Percy family for over 600 years who preferred it to the much larger Alnwick castle. The Percy’s were renowned for taking some poor decisions in dynastic wars and losing their lives as well as their properties and titles. One Percy known as “Harry Hotspur” became a popular knight and has been remembered over the years for featuring in Shakespeare’s Henry IV part one.

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Okehampton Castle; a romantic medieval ruin set in the beautiful Devon countryside with some fascinating former owners with stories to tell.

/ Okehampton Castle/

Okehampton Castle s a romantic medieval ruin set in the beautiful Devon countryside with some fascinating former owners with stories to tell. Exploring the castle is an engaging experience. Built, soon after the Battle of Hastings and as part of the Norman Conquest, the castle had a vital role to play in consolidating William the Conqueror’s control of the rebellious South-West of England. Built on a natural spur of high land above the valley of the River Okement, its location was carefully chosen to dominate the area and be very difficult to successfully attack. Having seen little action in its early years, it became a hunting lodge for its owners to carry out their favourite pastime and entertain as well as impress, its illustrious guests. It was eventually owned by the Courtenay family who became involved in national politics and suffered some great setbacks with Thomas Courtenay, in 1461 and Henry Courtenay, in 1538, paying the ultimate price of beheading.

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Totnes Castle; One of the earliest and best preserved examples of a Norman Motte and Bailey in the country.

/ Totnes Castle/

Totnes is a beautiful example of an early, motte and bailey castle that, by the end of the 13th century, morphed into a shell keep castle. It was a vital part of the Norman policy of controlling the troublesome English people, especially people living in the South-West. Totnes was one of the earliest types of castle and was built at speed in 1068 being part of William the Conqueror’ plans to suppress rebellious Anglo-saxons. It is a good example of a shell keep and, with visits to other types of castles, will create a great timeline of the development of castles culminating in Caernarvon Castle, Beaumaris Castle and Tudor castles such as at Pendennis and Southsea. Standing on top of the shell keep, gives fantastic 360 degree views of the surrounding area and therefore reasons for its location. Walking around the bailey makes it easy to see the development of the dry moat and ditches as the first form of defence.

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Castles in North Wales

/ Caernarfon Castle/

Here you will find the best 4 castles in rank order, that you should visit North Wales. A short stay in North Wales can be a castle hunter’s dream. Short car rides from a central location such as Bangor can present you with four of the best preserved medieval castles in the country.North Wales is a very special area for anyone with an interest in medieval history, and the four we’ve mentioned here were described by UNESCO as “the finest examples of late 13th and early 14th century military architecture in Europe.These castles remain in remarkable condition and they give you the opportunity to see the work of one of the greatest castle builders in history: Master James of St George. The castles here are unlike any you will see anywhere else and the Iron Ring of Castles in North Wales are the lasting legacy of Edward I - one of the greatest castle building kings in history.

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Why did people build castles?

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Why did people build castles in England? Did the reasons for building later versions of castles change and when did they begin building castles are all key questions to be answered in this blog.The story of castles in England really begins with William the Conqueror and his victory in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Before 1066, a couple of Normans living in England and friends of the English King, Edward the Confessor had built castles but on the whole, castles were not part of the English landscape. When William won the battle, he only had about 8 000 men but unfortunately for him, there were 2.5 million Saxons who loathed him and were prepared to take him on despite him defeating Harold Godwinson, the former king of England. This conquest by a foreigner was not to be tolerated. William knew this and so the main reason for building castles was for his protection and control of the English. William was not only a foreigner, he had a terrible reputation. On arrival in England his men destroyed property in Sussex, pillaging, raping and killing as they went. His cruel reputation was created before he arrived however, with stories of “skinning people alive” and putting out men’s eyes! Protective castles were therefore needed to safeguard a man and his Norman followers from rebellious and vengeful Saxons.

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The lowdown on English castles. What to look out for in a castle?

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The lowdown on English castles. What to look out for in a castle? Many people wander around a castle and complete their visit in a matter of minutes, sadly not knowing about what they have just looked at. This guide will help you to recognise castle features and why the castle builders constructed them. Have this guide ready on your phone and have a quick look at it before you step inside these amazing buildings. You will get a lot of enjoyment out of recognising features and your visit to the castle will be far more rewarding and worth the journey. If you plan to visit a castle with your children, use the guide on your phone and make a discovery game trying to find examples of my top 19. The person who finds the most wins. You can even devise your own points competition.

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Beaumaris Castle; possibly the greatest British Castle if only it had been finished.

/ Beaumaris Castle/
Beaumaris Castle; possibly the greatest British Castle if only it had been finished.

Beaumaris castle is possibly the greatest British Castle if only it had been finished. It is a brilliant example of a concentric castle, ie, a castle with walls within walls , loads of round towers, a moat, barbicans and no keep. It was built by one of the greatest castle builders, Master James of St George, at a time just before cannons put an end to the first phase of castle building. He attempted to create the ultimate castle. Master James was given a clean canvas on which to design and construct there best ever castle. There is good access to both sets of wall walks and so plenty to explore. It is easy to see all the defensive features and how they added to the overall effectiveness of castles. This was Edward I’s last Welsh castle in his iron ring and initially, money was no object.

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Dover Castle, the mightiest castle in Britain, defending our shores from the Middle Ages to the Cold War!

/ Dover Castle/
Dover Castle, the mightiest castle in Britain, defending our shores from the Middle Ages to the Cold War!

If you only have time to see one castle, then Dover is the one to see. Eighteen hundred years of history is something to boast about. A visit to Dover Castle is a day worth spent and will leave an everlasting impression on you. If you love history, you will love this place. It has it all. It is only 21 miles from France and has long been considered to be the gateway to England. If Dover fell, then the rest of the country would be wide open for conquest. It is a brilliant example of a medieval castle but it also has a complex of underground tunnels that during the second World War, was where the evacuation of Dunkirk was masterminded. You can also go back in time and see amazing sections of the “Great Tower” set out in the style of Henry II’s court.

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For the Castle enthusiast, Rochester must be high on your list.

/ Rochester Castle/
For the Castle enthusiast, Rochester must be high on your list.

Rochester Castle is great for castle lovers. It has a huge keep to explore and plenty of stories to discover. In 1215 King John attacked the rebel held castle using 40 pigs! Why pigs? Well, he mined under the south -east tower projecting from the keep and set the wooden props alight with the aid of the fat from 40 pigs acting as giant exploding sausages to bring a huge section down. The demolished tower was later replaced by a stronger round tower in the south -east corner looking rather odd against the other 3 square towers! Fantastic views can be had from the battlements at the top of the keep once you have trekked up the spiral staircases.

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Tower of London for kids - a great place for adults too. Royal Palace, Royal Prison, Execution Central and Murder Mysteries .

/ Tower of London/

With over 1000 years of history, you’ll find plenty to do in the Tower of London for kids as well as some of the more fascinating stories and murder mysteries English history. The Tower of London is one of England’s iconic buildings and the remnants of just how brutal and bloody the Middle Ages were. Why does it have this reputation?From the barbaric and gruesome William the Conqueror who created it, to kings and queens who were excited there, the Tower of London is a place of gripping and captivating history that the whole family can see close up.

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