Britain Castles are the repositories of the long-standing history of the country. The ruins of Britain castles provide a rare and valuable glimpse to ancient British architectural glory and political prowess. The castles in Britain have immense significance as they bear testimony to critical historical events like wars and coronation ceremonies of monarchs. Castles form the major tourist attractions of the European country. Britain castles can be categorized into various types. These include the Norman Castle, Early Keeps, Edwardian Castles, Motte and Bailey Castles, Palaces and Manors and Concentric Design.
Popular Castles of Britain
- Alnwick Castle: This is located in Northumberland, England. Alnwick Castle is known for its marble staircase and extraordinary collection of Italian artwork.
- Bedford Castle: Located in Bedfordshire, England, this castle was initially constructed with a mote in 11th century.
- Castle Bolton: Located in Yorkshire, the construction of this castle was initiated by Lord Scorpe, Chancellor to Richard II, in the year 1375.
- Dartmouth Castle: This castle occupies the forefront of River Dart. The construction of Dartmouth Castle commenced in the year 1388.
- Egremont Castle: This castle located in Cumbria, England, is a 12th century structure. The remnants of Egremont Castle can be found on a hill overlooking Ehen River.
- Farnham Castle Keep: A Motte and Bailey type of castle, it was constructed during the 12th century. Farnham Castle Keep is located at Castle Street in Surrey in England.
In addition to these castles, there are a number of other popular castles in England, Scotland and Wales. Some of the more popular English castles include Appleby Castle, Berkeley Castle, Bishop's Palace, Herstmonceux Castle, Hurst Castle, Kenilworth Castle, Oxford Castle, Pendennis Castle, Raby Castle, Richmond Castle, Scarborough Castle, Rochester Castle, St Catherines Castle, Tintagel Castle, Totnes Castle, Warwick Castle, Winchester Castle, and Yarmouth Castle.
The castles of Britain served both administrative and martial functions. The principal cause behind building castles was to prepare a base for administration in times of crisis. At the same time, they were the bulwark of the nation's defense mechanism. The right to build castles was the exclusive right of the British monarch. The castles were, however, maintained and refurbished by lesser royals like Barons and Dukes. The castles provided shelter to the common people in times of war or civil unrest. The castles were self-sufficient entities that housed living rooms, kitchens, stables and storehouses.
Architectural Classification of Castles in Britain
The castles in Britain can be architecturally classified into three broad categories:
- The Motte and Bailey Castles: In this type of castle buildings, a man-made raised ground serves as the base of the construction. The periphery of the structure is encircled with water in order to keep enemies at bay. It took very little time to erect these castles, and many of them were built soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Although William the Conqueror is credited with the introduction of the more solid Norman style castles in England, yet a number of motte and bailey castles were built during his time. The building of this kind of castles continued till the 13th century. Although there were thousands of motte and bailey castles distributed all over Britain, most of them were concentrated on the Welsh and Scottish border areas. Very few of these primitive type of castles have survived the vagaries of time.
- Concentric Type or Round Tower Castles: These defensive structures are reinforced with multiple layers of walls, which make up the castle. The walls are consecutive. Towers are built along the walls to provide tactical military support.
- Palaces and Manor Type Forts: This type of forts served a more decorative function. The 14th century invention of canon firing rendered the castles ineffective in providing consistent security at the times of war and strife. These massive structures were then turned into places of royal indulgence. These resulted in a number of palatial castles all over Britain.
Haunted Castles of Britain
There are a number of castles all over Britain, in England, Wales and Scotland. Some of these castles are believed to be haunted by ghosts. A few media companies have worked on the mystery of many of these castles and broadcast their findings in television episodes.
The castles of Scotland and Wales are as fascinating as the English castles. Some well-known Scottish castles include Blackness Castle, Caerlaverock Castle, Kildrummy Castle and Tantallon Castle. The list of popular Wales Castles includes Barry Castle, Mold Castle, Ogmore Castle and Newcastle Emlyn Castle.
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