If you’re looking for a book for younger ages, I would recommend Medieval Castles edited by Catherine Bradley and illustrated by Rob Shone. This book is a good intro into the topic of castles for elementary ages and up. It introduces readers to specific terminology of castle architecture such as… Read More »Review: Medieval Castles
The gatehouse was one of the most fortified areas of a castle. It was also one of the more vulnerable. For this reason, engineers designed them with extra protection to keep invaders from easily breaching the castle walls. Commonly, gatehouses consisted of a wooden gate reinforced with iron, as well… Read More »Castle Gatehouses
Exeter Castle, also known as Rougemont Castle, was originally no more than a defensive city wall built by the Romans and later repaired by King Athelstan around 928 AD. After the Norman Conquest of England, the city of Exeter — like many other cities at this time — rebelled against William… Read More »Exeter Castle
Bodiam Castle is a 14th century castle in East Sussex built by Edward Dalyngrigge in 1385. Edward Dalyngrigge was a former knight of Edward III, fighting for the king in the Hundred Years’ War as a member of the Free Companies. He received his license to build Bodiam from King… Read More »Bodiam Castle
Towering 150 feet above the northeast coastline of England, the castle of Bamburgh sits as a formidable defense, a testament to the once great glory of the Northumbrian kingdom. The first written reference to the castle is around 547 AD, when the Anglo-Saxon ruler Ida of Bernicia established the castle… Read More »Bamburgh Castle
Quick Facts: Location: Northern Wales Built between 1210 – 1240 by Llewelyn the Great (Llywelyn ap Iorwerth) Captured by Edward I in 1283 Current condition: Partially ruinous, open to public Additional Reading: CastleWales.com SnowdoniaGuide.com WalesDirectory.co.uk
Farleigh was the manor house of the family of Montfort. In 1369, Thomas Hungerford purchased it. Thomas was a citizen and merchant from New Sarum, or Salisbury, though he was of high standing as he was steward to John of Gaunt, and for a brief period, he was Speaker of… Read More »Farleigh Hungerford Castle
West of Frome in Somerset, England, lies the ruins of the medieval castle of Nunney. Founded by Sir John Delamere, the castle consists of a single courtyard surrounded by a water moat fed by a natural stream. Delamere supposedly funded the construction through ransom money obtained from the wars with… Read More »Nunney Castle
Built by Roger de Montgomery on the site of an existing Saxon fortification, the castle of Arundel overlooks the River Arun in West Sussex. William the Conqueror granted Roger de Montgomery the land and charged him with the task of defending the southern coast of England from attack. The oldest… Read More »Arundel Castle