Why did Edward I build castles in North Wales?

/ Caernarfon Castle/
Why did Edward I build castles in North Wales?

Why did Edward I build so many “state of the art” castles in northern Wales? Dr Sam Willis has described Edward I as,” the greatest castle building king this country has ever seen”. He went on to say, "his castles were his Arthurian Camelot, a tool to conquer and then recolonise". Dan Jones has commented, "every Plantagenet king with exception of Richard I has come to Wales and all departed having barely left a footprint. Edward I ended that trend emphatically".

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The Battle of Britain's "National Memorial to the Few".

/ Battle of Britain Memorial /
The Battle of Britain's "National Memorial to the Few".

The Battle of Britain memorial is “dedicated to the heroic and selfless deeds of the men who fought the Battle of Britain, 10 July to 31 October, 1940. It is cited on the famous White Cliffs of Dover and offers superb views across the Channel to France. Much of the fighting took place in the skies above this very area and so its location is very apposite. The actual memorial is an evocative statue of a Battle of Britain pilot who sits in the centre of a giant propeller. There are also life size spitfire and hurricane replicas, a wall of remembrance and “The Wing” in which visitors can take part in an interactive presentation, “The Scramble Experience”. The jacket that the pilot is wearing, intentionally, has no badges to signify nationality or rank signifying that pilots from Britain were accompanied by nationals from all over the British Empire and even Europe. Of significant importance were 145 airmen from Poland, many of whom were based at RAF Northolt in London.

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Portchester Castle, a medieval castle within a Roman fort.

/ Portchester Castle/

Portchester Castle is one of history’s “must see places”. It is the best preserved example of a Roman fort north of the Alps and within its walls , is one of the best preserved examples of a medieval square keep. You get two for the price of one at Portchester! Whereas, in many square keeps, access is only available on the ground floor, at Portchester 3 floors of the keep are open to the public and covid permitting, so is the rooftop with a fine view over the harbour. Originally built to curb the activities of “Frankish Pirates” it then took on a medieval identity with many key events in English history are associated with it such as the battles of Crecy and Agincourt.

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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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Knole; "the romantic embodiment of a bygone age".

/ Knole House/
Knole; "the romantic embodiment of a bygone age".

The guidebook states “Knole was built to impress” and it still has the ‘wow factor today. Driving through the beautiful estate to get to the carpark heightens expectation of what you will see when the immense house comes into view. Seeing this majestic residence for the first time will, to use an overworked phrase, “blow your mind”. It is simply stunning. Looking at the surrounding countryside you will see an amazing setting and immediately want to see the whole package, the house and the park. It is one of the largest country houses in England and it sits amidst one of the last remaining deer parks in Kent.Reading this blog, you will come across famous historical figures such as Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and her “favourite”, the Earl of Leicester, Nell Gwynn and the authors, Vita Sackville West and her lover, Virginia Woolf.

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Leeds Castle; "On an autumnal evening, when the bracken is golden and a faint blue mist among the trees, the loveliest castle in the whole world!". Lord Conway.

/ Leeds Castle/
Leeds Castle; "On an autumnal evening, when the bracken is golden and a faint blue mist among the trees, the loveliest castle in the whole world!". Lord Conway.

Leeds Castle; "On an autumnal evening, when the bracken is golden and a faint blue mist among the trees, the loveliest castle in the whole world!". These are the words of Lord Conway in the popular magazine, magazine, “Country Life”. A visit to this beautiful but much altered castle is a great day out. This castle has links and associated features to many amazing stories from English history and is set in the exquisite kent countryside, often called, “the garden of England”. It is an experience not to be missed. Even the ramble from the car park to the castle is an attractive walk . Leeds is a unique castle in that it is associated six royal queens, people often overlooked in a male dominated world and should be high on every History lover’s lists of places to visit. It has links to the medieval world of the Plantagenets and that of Henry VIII. When he took possession of it, he transformed the castle from a fortified stronghold to a magnificent royal palace, fit for a mighty Tudor king and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. You can have fun looking for Henry’s and Catherine’s symbols which have been left behind for posterity.

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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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Bodium, quintessential, archetypal, photogenic and the most romantic of all British castles. A visit to Bodium castle is a must for all castle lovers and history fans.

/ Bodium Castle/
Bodium, quintessential, archetypal, photogenic and the most romantic of all British castles. A visit to Bodium castle is a must for all castle lovers and history fans.

Bodium, quintessential, archetypal, photogenic and the most romantic of all British castles. A visit to Bodiam castle is a must for all castle and history lovers.If you have never been to a castle, Bodiam is a great stating point. It is simply a beautiful, iconic 14th century castle, which on a summer’s day is unsurpassed. It has been described by Dr Marc Morris in his book on castles as; “the most photogenic and one of the most visited castles in Britain. Its ravishing good looks have made it a firm favourite with calendar compilers and magazine editors.” .You will be able to see good examples of typical castle features eg its round and square towers, its moat and machicolations. You will experience a place where your imagination can run riot.

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Lullingstone Villa; a great insight into Roman life in Britain and remarkable secret christian church.

/ Lullingstone Villa/

A visit to Lullingstone Villa will give you a great insight into life in Roman Britain. You can survey the whole villa and study, from a raised gallery, two wonderful mosaics based on the stories from ancient literature. The inhabitants of Lullingstone were early converts to Christianity who created their own “house-church”, to worship their new god. On our visit we came across lots of families having a great time working together to answer English Heritage question sheets. Four hundred years of development is explained in a good audio visual display and colourful information boards around the building.

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History lovers, search out the treasures of Rochester Cathedral.

/ Rochester Cathedral/
History lovers, search out the treasures of Rochester Cathedral.

Rochester Cathedral, a must for for history-lovers with its wonderful Norman architecture; its rare medieval wall painting of “the Wheel of Fortune”; a 900 year old book, the “Texts Roffensis” with the law code of King Athelbert of Kent; plenty examples of the “Green Man” to search out; impressive large sculptures of earlier bishops; its Norman crypt and its close proximity to Rochester Castle. Added to these attractions, go at the time of the summer’s Dicken’s festival or its christmas festival and you have a very full day of seeing the past.

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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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Reading Museum; home of Britain's own Bayeux Tapestry and the lost Roman town of Silchester

/ Reading museum/

No need to go to France to see the Bayeux Tapestry, go to Reading Museum instead. It’s there in its entirety for all to see and its free! Whilst you are there, have a look at the Silchester exhibition, the story of the old Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum that was abandoned and returned to agricultural land. Behind the museum are the remains of Reading Abbey, one of the largest in the country and the burial place of Henry I.

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Lavenham, "the best preserved medieval village in the country".

/ Lavenham/
Lavenham, "the best preserved medieval village in the country".

The story of Lavenham , is the story of a very prosperous and thriving medieval town that peaked in the 1520s and then suffered a major economic decline, arresting virtually all building development and modernisation. This left numerous stunning, but unaltered, medieval timber framed houses for us to enjoy during a gentle stroll through the village. Houses in Lavenham could adorn a countless boxes of chocolate and calendars.

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Colchester Castle; one of the finest archaeological collections in the country and brilliant for kids.

/ Colchester Castle/

This is the largest Norman Keep in Europe built on top of the remains of the great temple of Claudius the conquering Roman Empire. Objects from over 2000 years including the Iron Age, Boudicca’s uprising, the finest display of Roman glassware rivalling that of the British Museum, are here along a gruesome dungeon section focusing on the BloodY Mary burning people at the stake, Matthew Hopkin’s witchfinding, There are countless invitations to touch objects and children’s activities include a roman chariot race simulation, 4 dressing up stations, use of tablets to compete an electronic quiz and creation of a mosaic.

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Ightham Mote; a 700 year old magnificent, medieval moated manor house set in the beautiful Kent Countryside.

/ Ightham Mote/
Ightham Mote; a 700 year old magnificent, medieval moated manor house set in the beautiful Kent Countryside.

A visit to the beautiful Ightham Mote will take you on a journey back to the 14th century. Various rooms and details result in you being taken along a timeline of discovery and evoking a deep sense of history. It was built by medieval knights, taken on by tudor courtiers desperate to gain favour with Henry VIII and on through high society Victorians before ending up in the hands of a very generous American benefactor who passed it on to the National Trust. It has many rooms to marvel at, from the medieval “Great Hall” and Crypt”, to Catherine of Aragon’s pomegranite emblem on the chapel ceiling and ending up in the impressive Victorian billiard room.

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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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Young person's guide to causes of World War Two and The Battle of Britain

/ Battle of Britain Bunker Hillingdon London/
Young person's guide to causes of World War Two and The Battle of Britain

A pictorial guide to the causes of World War 2 and the Battle of Britain for young people. A fun, conversation guide that takes you through all you need to know about the reasons for the start of the Second World War for kids.

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