Bodiam

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Shortened history of the castle:

Bodiam Castle was constructed in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge (a veteran of the wars with France) after receiving permission from the king. As well as constructing the castle, Sir Edward also built an oversized moat, a mill and millpond that were located next to the river, near the harbour.

During its short history, Bodiam was never to taste the emotions of battle but it was besieged twice. The first was during the War of the Roses and the second being the Civil War when it was assumed that the castle was deliberately ruined. It is in the beginning of the 18th century that the castle began to be widely appreciated as a romantic ruin.

Bodiam Castle was purchased by John Fuller of Brightling, for a princely sum of £3,000 in 1829. It was during this period that its two owners undertook restoring Bodiam Castle.

But the beginning of the 20th century saw the arrival of Lord Curzon, a figure of enormous importance in the history of architectural conservation in Britain. He was the first one to introduce the Act for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments.

When Lord Curzon he first chanced upon Bodiam Castle in 1917 he was so captivated by its presence that he bought the castle with the intention of making it liveable again. His vision never came to fruition and in 1919, he set out on an important restoration project. Lord Curzon drained and excavated the moat, which revealed the original wooden footings of the bridges that led to the castle as well as several small finds, which included bits of armour and cannonballs, now displayed in the museum.