Castles of Great Britain

Foreword

I have chosen this subject because I have been fascinated by fairy tales since I was a child.

Another reason that influenced my choice is my passion for tourism and I believe that my research in this domain will help me a lot in the future.

Every castle you will explore in my project will provide you with a new and fascinating experience: each castle has a unique character,owing to the extent of its preservation – whether it is still in livable condition or completely ruinous – its history, its location and its singular architecture.Not only do they offer tourists the chance to climb spiralling stairways to the tops of the battlements,but castles also offer secretive passageways,unusual decoration, breathtakingly spectacular views and the chance to relive the past.

In my opinion, even if you are an adult,or still a young person, you should never forget the world of fairy tales,and so castles are the living proof that you can always travel in this unique and unforgettable world.

Introduction

Medieval castles were a symbol of wealth and power and were often the center of historic battles and Medieval sieges.

Britain is strewn with ruins of castles, rubble from the centuries of her existence. Castles are tangible relics of a remarkable past, a lengthy heritage etched in stone, as well as with the blood and sweat of those who built, labored, fought, and died in their shadow. Ruins stir up in us a profound awareness of those past lives. Castles have a timelessness that is awe-inspiring. That they have endured centuries of warfare and the effects of weather is a testimony to the creativity and power of their medieval owners.

Today are many Preservation Organisations that protect the coastline,countryside and castles of Great Britain.

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty was formed in 1895 and is one of the largest conservation organisations in the world.

The Trust owns thousands of properties throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland; including over two hundred mansion houses and gardens of outstanding interest and importance. The majority of these country houses contain collections of pictures, furniture, books, metalwork, ceramics and textiles that have remained in their historic context. Most of the houses have also important gardens attached to them, and the Trust also owns some important gardens not attached to a house. The properties include some of the most famous stately homes in the country and some of the key gardens in the history of British gardening.

Chapter 1

1.1 History

Castles were brought to Britain by William the Conqueror, when he invaded England from his homeland in France. Known as the Duke of Normandy, William invaded England in 1066 and, due to his victory in the Battle of Hastings, William was crowned the King of England, and became King William I.

One of the most powerful ways for William to take control of his new kingdom, which included England, Scotland and Wales, was to have castles built throughout the land. At first, he ordered the construction of very simple castles, called motte and bailey castles.

They consisted of an earthen mound, called a motte, topped by a tower (first built of wood, and soon rebuilt in stone to make the towers more sturdy). The bailey was a large area of land enclosed by a shorter mound, placed next to the motte. Inside the bailey were the main activities of the castle (workshops, stables and livestock, household activities, etc.), while the tower on the motte was used as the lord's residence and as an observation post.

These earth and wood castles were not very sturdy, because the wood would rot fairly quickly and was easy for an enemy to burn. So, William the king ordered the construction of stone castles. Stone castles were much more sturdy, did not rot like wood, and also were much more able to withstand any attack by an invader. Over the centuries after William was king, other kings ordered elaborate castles to be built.

Castles were not just used by the king. Most castles, in fact, were granted by a king to their most loyal subjects, knights or barons who fought valiantly in battle and supported their king. The king, starting with William the Conqueror, gave his loyal knights vast estates and permission to build castles. In return, he expected these men (most of whom were given the titles of earl or lord) to control their lands as the king's representative, to keep the local population from rebelling, and to force them to work and pay rent to the lord (who then passed it onto the king).

Many of the people who lived in Britain before it was conquered did not like being controlled by the king's barons, and wanted to keep control of their own lands themselves. But that was not possible, because William and later kings (and queens) demanded they pay homage. Therefore, castles were built to establish the power of the king and his followers, and to keep the people from regaining control of their own lands.