Warkworth

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Shortened history of the castle:

Warkworth Castle was built in a loop of the River Coquet. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the mid 12th century by Earl Henry of Northumberland, son of David I, King of Scots. The castle is most famously associated with the Percy family, who acquired the castle in 1332.

The Percy family were one of the most powerful in the country, controlling much of Northern England. Despite having a major castle nearby at Alnwick, they frequently resided at Warkworth and made big improvements to the castle, most notably with the addition of the great keep in the late 14th century.

The sixth Percy earl, Henry, on his death in 1537, left the castle and all his possessions to Henry VIII. Subsequent attempts to reinstate a Percy brought misfortune on the castle as the catholic Percy's came into conflict with the protestant Queen Elizabeth.

The castle was subsequently allowed to fall into decay.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Castle is open from October to March from 10am to 4pm, and from April to September from 10am to 5pm.

Entrance fees:
Adults: £4.80
Children: £2.90
Concessions: £4.30 (students, disabled...)
Family Ticket: £12.50

There is a free audio tour of this impressive fortress, don't miss it!

Carrickfergus

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Shortened history of the castle:

Carrickfergus Castle was built somewhere between 1177 and 1195 by the Anglo Norman lord John de Courcy. It was then only a 3 storey square keep within a small enclosure, now called the Inner Ward, at the end of a rock jutting out into the sea, guarding the entrance to Belfast Lough. From here De Courcy ruled as a petty king over Ulster.

In 1210, after John De Courcy had died, Carrickfergus Castle was captured by King John. In 1216, after King John's reign, the second building phase to improve the castle started. The keep was raised to its present height and a second set of walls, now called the Middle Ward, was built. Only foundations of these walls remain at present.

A third phase of building took place between 1226 and 1242 when the castle and the region were under the rule of another Anglo Norman lord, Hugh de Lacy. The walls were extended to encircle the whole of the rock the castle stood on. This area is now called the Outer Ward. The entrance to the Outer Ward was guarded by a strong gate house formed by 2 large circular towers.

In the early 1600's Carrickfergus Castle was updated for artillery. However, by 1689 the castle had fallen into disrepair and was easily captured by General Schomberg in 1690.

In 1797 the castle became a prison and in the early 1800's, under the threat of a possible French invasion, its defences were considerably strenghtened with 22 cannons.

Until 1928 Carrickfergus Castle was used as a magazine and armory and during WW II it served as an air raid shelter.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Opening times:
From Easter until the end of September: 10am to 6pm (daily)
From October to Easter: 10am to 4pm (daily)

Fees:
Adult - £3.00
Child/Student - £1.50
Child under 4 - Free
Family Rate - £8.00 (2 Adults & 2 Children)

Dover

Shortened history of the castle:

Originally the site may have been fortified with earthworks in the Iron Age or earlier, before the Romans invaded in 43 AD.

After the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, William the Conqueror and his forces marched to Westminster Abbey for his coronation. Then he marched to Dover, which had been reported impregnable and held by a large force. But the English, probably afraid of William's army, surrendered without conditions. The Castle was first built, entirely out of clay. It collapsed to the ground and the clay was then used as the flooring for many of the ground-floor rooms.

It was during the reign of Henry II that the castle began to take recognisable shape.

By the Tudor age, the defences themselves had been superseded by gunpowder. They were improved by Henry VIII, who made a personal visit, and added to with the Moat Bulwark.

Opening times and additional information:

Open all year except December 24 -26 and January 1st.
Closed Tues/Wed from November to February
Summer opening times 10am -6pm
Winter opening times 10am- 4pm

Ticket Prices
Adult - £10.30
Child - £5.20
Concession - £8.20
Family - £25.80

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.

Lindisfarne

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Shortened history of the castle:

The border region between England and Scotland has been for centuries what could be called very volatile. Numerous wars raged between the English and the Scots, and the area was the frequent target of Viking raids. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is separated by a tidal causeway which may only be crossed at low tide. This made it an ideal location for a castle.

By Tudor times a fort with strong fortifications was constructed on Beblowe Crag, between 1570-72. This forms the basis of the present castle. Elizabeth I remodelled the fort, reinforcing it and providing artillery emplacements. When James I became king, he unified the Scottish and English thrones, and the need for the castle declined.

In the 19th century the castle was used as a look-out for coastguards. It became a tourist attraction for architects and antiquarians.

In 1901 the building was purchased by Edward Hudson, owner of Country Life magazine, which published innumerable articles on English country house and rural themes.

Opening times and additional information:

Castle:
13 Feb - 21 Feb : from Monday to Sunday (10am-3pm)
13 Mar - 31 Oct : from Tuesday to Sunday (10am-5pm)
Garden:
Open all year from 10am to 5pm (Closed on Mondays)

Castle is open some weekends in January, November and December (tide dependency), contact castle for details. Email: lindisfarne@nationaltrust.org.uk

Prices:

Adult £6.60
Child £3.30
Family £16.50 (£15)
Garden only: adult £1.50 - child free

The castle is accessed by a steep climb around the rocky base of the hill.

Leeds

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Shortened history of the castle:

Built in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoeur to replace the earlier Saxon manor of Esledes, the castle became a royal palace in 1278 for King Edward I of England and his queen, Eleanor of Castile.

Richard II's first wife, Anne of Bohemia, spent the winter of 1381 at the castle on her way to be married to the king.

Henry VIII transformed the castle for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and a painting commemorating his meeting with Francis I of France still hangs there.

The castle escaped destruction during the English Civil War because its owners, the Culpeper family, sided with the Parliamentarians.

Opening times and additional information:

Rates :
Adults - £17.50
Senior Citizens (over 60yrs), Students & Visitors with Disabilities - £15.00
Children (4-15yrs) - £10.00
All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Opening Times : Open all year round.
Closed to day visitors on 6th and 7th November and Christmas Day 2010.
Open: 10am daily Last ticket sold (last entry): 3pm.
Gates close at 5pm.