Over the past few years, I’ve visited a few medieval castles. Before diving into what medieval castles are like and the people who lived in them, I thought I’d share photos of the ones I’ve been to. If you want to read more about each, clicking on the name of each castle will take you to the blog post, which have even more photos.

First, Chepstow Castle, on the Welsh side of the border with England. Built in 1086, it was one of many castles built to secure the border, or March, between England and Wales. It was thanks to his wife, Isabel de Clare, that the castle passed to William Marshal, the great soldier and statesman who served five English kings.

Another 11th century castle, beautiful Arundel Castle in West Sussex, which was granted to Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067 by his cousin, William the Conqueror, as a reward for keeping the peace in Normandy while William was busy conquering England.

Rochester Castle, an 12th century Norman keep in Kent, was granted to the Bishops of Canterbury by Henry I. It was a working castle and saw the face of war more than once.

Another 12th century castle, Kenilworth Castle, in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, “… one of the largest and most splendid historic sites in Britain”. In the 1120s, King Henry gave the Royal Estate of Stoneleigh to his chamberlain and treasurer, Geoffrey de Clinton, who established the castle on one side and the priory on the other.

Finally, an example of a 14th century moated castle, Bodiam Castle in East Sussex. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a knight of Edward III. Richard II gave him permission to build the castle as a defence against French invasion during the Hundred Years War.

There are so many castles I’d love to visit, dotted all around Britain. Maybe, one day, I’ll get to see them all.

A Selection of Medieval Castles