Crathes Castle in Grampian, is another Scottish fairy tale castle with turrets and gargoyles, built in late16th century; the seat of the family of Burnett of Leys ; fine furniture… Read More »Crathes Castle (photo gallery)
Gwynedd, a castle of King Edward I , on Isle of Anglesey; a perfect example of a concentrically planned castle. This unusual, yet magnificent building, located in the county town… Read More »Beaumaris Castle (in Wales) – All about
In the 15th century, Edward IV granted Ashby De La Zouch Castle to Lord Hastings who converted what was no more than a fortified manor house into a grand castle,… Read More »Ashby De La Zouch (Hastings, UK)
Bishop’s Waltham, Southampton, Hampshire
The last Bishop of Winchester to reside at Bishop’s Waltham left in a dung cart disguised as a farm labourer! He was escaping from Oliver Cromwell’s troops after unsuccessfully defending his palace, which was torn down and never rebuilt. Bishop’s Waltham was at the peak of its importance during the medieval period when it was the seat of the bishops of Winchester.
The palace once stood in an enormous park of some 10,000 acres. Most of the remains to be seen today date from the 12th and 14th centuries. There are substantial parts of the Great Hall and three-storey tower, and the moat which once surrounded the palace can be seen in places. A brick wall which once encircled the palace is still in place. Nearby is the abbot’s fish pond. Conservation is now complete on part of the north-east range of guest rooms, latterly a farmhouse. Inside is an exhibition on the history of Bishop’s Waltham Palace. Bishops Waltham Palace
Continuously occupied by the Berkeley family since the 12th century, Berkeley Castle consists of a Norman, sandstone Keep with three semi-cylindrical turrets, and an Inner Ward surrounded by low-lying, 14ft thick walls. At one time there was a moat and the traditional Outer Ward to provide a defence strategy to the Inner Ward. The huge, round Keep is over sixty feet high, and is one of the oldest parts of the surviving castle.
Robert Fitzharding was in occupation during the mid-12th century when he was given permission by Henry II to construct a castle made of stone, to replace the former timber construction. It was from the descendants of Robert Fitzharding, who liked to describe themselves as ‘of Berkeley’, that lead to the family name still used today.