100 Interesting Facts About English Castles

1. The oldest parts of the Tower of London, a historic castle located in central London, were built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s.
2. Leeds Castle, in Kent, has been described as “the loveliest castle in the world.” Despite its name, it’s nowhere near the city of Leeds!
3. The Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. It is an official residence of Queen Elizabeth II.
4. The White Tower, a central tower at the Tower of London, was once used as a royal zoo housing polar bears and elephants.
5. Warwick Castle, one of the most famous medieval castles in England, has a trebuchet – a type of catapult – that is still fired today for demonstrations.
6. The phrase ‘Paint the town red’ originates from the escapade of the Marquis of Waterford and his friends who, in 1837, vandalized several buildings in Melton Mowbray including the local tollgate and the Leicestershire Yeomanry’s bear mascot.
7. Built in 1385, Bodiam Castle in East Sussex is a perfect example of a late medieval moated castle and is one of Britain’s most famous and evocative castles.
8. The Tower of London has served various purposes over the years, including a royal palace, a prison, a treasury, and a mint.
9. Alnwick Castle, located in Northumberland, has featured in many films and TV series, including as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies.
10. Rochester Castle is home to one of the oldest surviving keeps in England, dating back to the 12th century.
11. Dover Castle boasts the largest castle keep in England, known as the Great Tower.
12. The ghost of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, is said to haunt the Tower of London.
13. The ruins of Corfe Castle in Dorset have been the backdrop for many movies, including the 1971 adaptation of “Far From the Madding Crowd.”
14. In medieval times, some castles had ‘murder holes’ in ceilings where they could drop objects on attackers or pour boiling substances.
15. Ludlow Castle, in Shropshire, hosted one of the first performances of “Malory’s Morte d’Arthur” in the late 15th century.
16. Amberley Castle in West Sussex has transitioned from a 12th-century manor house to a luxury hotel.
17. Pendennis Castle in Cornwall was one of the ‘Device Forts’ built by Henry VIII; it served as a coastal defense for over 400 years.
18. Hever Castle in Kent was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn before she married Henry VIII.
19. Bamburgh Castle, in Northumberland, sits atop a basalt outcrop overlooking the North Sea. It is often cited as one of the finest castles in England.
20. Tintagel Castle in Cornwall is linked to the legend of King Arthur, who was said to be conceived there.
21. Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex is known for its brick construction, unusual for English castles which are often made from stone.
22. Framlingham Castle in Suffolk is where Mary Tudor was proclaimed Queen of England in 1553.
23. Carlisle Castle, near the borders of Scotland, has seen more battles than any other castle in the UK.
24. The concentric design of Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey, Wales, is considered a pinnacle of medieval military architecture.
25. Orford Castle in Suffolk has a unique polygonal tower keep.
26. Built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, Lincoln Castle is one of only two castles in the country to have two mottes (defensive hills).
27. Medieval toilets, known as ‘garderobes,’ can still be seen in many castles. They were often situated on the outer walls so waste would fall directly into the castle moat!
28. The Tower of London houses the Crown Jewels, including the largest cut diamond in the world, the Cullinan I, or the Great Star of Africa.
29. Castles like the Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace were luxurious, intended to show off the wealth and power of their occupants.
30. The keep of Conisbrough Castle in South Yorkshire inspired Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe.
31. Rising from a rocky crag above the Northumberland coastline, Dunstanburgh Castle is one of the most dramatic castle ruins in England.
32. Highclere Castle, home to the Earl of Carnarvon, is famous worldwide as Downton Abbey from the hit TV series.
33. Skipton Castle in Yorkshire is one of the most complete and well-preserved medieval castles in England.
34. Raby Castle in County Durham is one of the best-preserved castles in North East England, and its deer park dates from medieval times.
35. Many castles, like Warwick Castle and Alnwick Castle, now feature medieval-themed attractions, including jousting tournaments, falconry displays, and ghost tours.
36. The unusual triangular design of Caerlaverock Castle in Scotland is unique among British castles.
37. The ‘Roundheads,’ supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War, slighted (deliberately damaged) many castles to prevent them from being used by the enemy.
38. The shell keep of Restormel Castle in Cornwall is one of the best surviving examples of such a design in England.
39. The ruin of Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire is notable for its large lake, created by damming local streams.
40. The Star Castle on the Isles of Scilly is so named for its star-shaped design, a style known as a ‘trace italienne.’
41. Durham Castle, a Norman castle in the city of Durham, has been inhabited continuously since the 11th century and is currently the home of University College, Durham.
42. Peckforton Castle, built in the 19th century in Cheshire, is a Victorian ‘mock’ castle where footballer David Beckham was rumored to have proposed to his wife Victoria.
43. Goodrich Castle in Herefordshire is one of the finest examples of a Norman ‘keep-and-bailey’ castle.
44. The Bishop’s Palace in Wells, Somerset, has a rare example of a ‘water gate,’ allowing access directly from the River Avon.
45. Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire has one of the earliest, and finest, examples of a brick-built castle tower.
46. Sherborne Old Castle in Dorset was ‘slighted’ during the English Civil War, and a new castle (Sherborne New Castle) was built nearby.
47. Hadleigh Castle in Essex overlooks the Thames estuary, and its ruins inspired a famous painting by John Constable.
48. The Tower of London was painted white by Henry III in the 13th century, hence its name.
49. Newcastle Castle, from which the city of Newcastle upon Tyne takes its name, is an urban castle built on a site that has been occupied for nearly 2,000 years.
50. The medieval keep of Norwich Castle now houses a museum and art gallery.
51. Clifford’s Tower, the keep of York Castle, is unusual for its quatrefoil (four-leaf clover) shape.
52. Middleham Castle in North Yorkshire was the childhood home of Richard III.
53. Carrisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight was where Charles I was imprisoned before his execution in 1649.
54. Stokesay Castle in Shropshire is one of the best-preserved fortified manor houses in England.
55. Barnard Castle in County Durham gives its name to the phrase ‘going for a Barnard Castle,’ a reference to a controversial trip made by Dominic Cummings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
56. Deal Castle in Kent is one of the finest examples of a ‘Device Fort,’ a series of fortifications built by Henry VIII.
57. Warkworth Castle in Northumberland is a ruinous medieval building and the former residence of the powerful Percy family.
58. Longthorpe Tower, part of a fortified manor house in Peterborough, contains some of the most important medieval secular wall paintings in Europe.
59. Bolton Castle in Yorkshire is where Mary, Queen of Scots, was held prisoner.
60. Richmond Castle in Yorkshire has one of the oldest stone keeps in England.
61. Tower of London’s Yeoman Warders, often called Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower. Their role dates back to the reign of Edward IV (1461–1483).
62. Arundel Castle in West Sussex houses a valuable collection of art, including works by Van Dyck, Gainsborough, and Canaletto.
63. The Motte and Bailey design, such as that seen at Lewes Castle, was a popular form of castle construction introduced by the Normans.
64. Scarborough Castle’s Roman Signal Station is one of several on the Yorkshire coast. They formed an early warning system against raiders from across the sea.
65. The vast, stunning gardens at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire are home to over 1,200 varieties of roses.
66. Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire is where Edward II is rumored to have been murdered in a rather gruesome way.
67. The moat at Bodiam Castle is home to a large variety of wildlife, including herons, dragonflies, and carp.
68. The ruined keep of Hedingham Castle in Essex is one of the best-preserved Norman structures in England.
69. Built in the 11th century, Colchester Castle has the largest Norman keep in Europe.
70. The stunning Leeds Castle in Kent has its own maze, made from 2,400 yew trees.
71. The enormous medieval fortress of Dover Castle also contains a Roman lighthouse, one of the best-preserved in Europe.
72. In 2022, visitors to Tower of London topped 3 million for the first time, making it one of the most visited tourist attractions in the UK.
73. After falling into ruin, many castles like Kenilworth were restored during the Victorian period.
74. Castles often changed hands multiple times during the Wars of the Roses, such as Middleham Castle in Yorkshire.
75. The impressive Edwardian castles of North Wales, such as Conwy, Caernarfon, and Harlech, are collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
76. The Keep of Newcastle Castle was used as a prison until the 19th century.
77. Several castles, like Highclere and Leeds, are available for weddings and other events.
78. Some castles, such as Dover and Pendennis, were used during World War II as military installations.
79. The impressive ruins of Fountains Abbey are located near Ripon in North Yorkshire, within the ‘Studley Royal Park’ World Heritage Site.
80. The design of Hastings Castle was adapted over time, including the addition of a collegiate church.
81. The Tower of London is home to six resident ravens. Legend says that if they ever leave, the Kingdom will fall.
82. During the 17th century, Hurst Castle in Hampshire was used as a prison for eminent captives, including Charles I.
83. Shrewsbury Castle houses the Shropshire Regimental Museum.
84. Not all ‘castles’ are old. The gothic revival Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham is a fine example of a 19th-century ‘castle.’
85. Castle Drogo in Devon, built between 1911 and 1930, is the last castle to have been built in England.
86. Portchester Castle in Hampshire is a rare example of a medieval castle that’s built within a former Roman fort.
87. The ringwork castle design, such as at Windsor, involved a defensive wall being built in a circular or oval shape.
88. Tynemouth Castle and Priory on the coast of North East England was once one of the largest fortified areas in England.
89. The Tower of London once housed a royal menagerie, which included lions, an elephant, and a polar bear that fished in the Thames.
90. Old Sarum in Wiltshire combines a royal castle and cathedral within an Iron Age fortification.
91. Pendragon Castle in Cumbria is associated with the legend of Uther Pendragon, the father of King Arthur.
92. Castles were not just defensive structures, but also centers of administration, justice, and social activity.
93. Eltham Palace in Greenwich combines a medieval palace with a modern Art Deco mansion.
94. The Tower of London’s White Tower is home to Line of Kings, an exhibition that has been running for over 400 years, featuring armor worn by different monarchs.
95. Much of the stonework in English castles, such as Caernarfon, was left deliberately rough to enhance their military appearance.
96. Totnes Castle in Devon is one of the best-preserved examples of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle.
97. Clifford Tower in York offers panoramic views over the city.
98. The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd, Wales, are the most complete examples of medieval fortifications in Britain.
99. Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, covers an area of about 13 acres (5 hectares), making it one of the largest and oldest occupied castles in the world.
100. The last siege of an English castle was at Pontefract Castle in 1648 during the English Civil War.

Originally posted 2023-09-20 21:03:59.

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