Berkhamsted Castle
| Berkhamsted Castle | |
|---|---|
| Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire | |
 The castle, January 2007 |
|
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 51°45′52″N 0°33′29″W / 51.76453°N 0.55814°W |
| Built | 1066 |
| Built by | Robert, Count of Mortain |
| Construction materials |
Stone |
| Current condition |
Ruin |
| Current owner |
English Heritage |
| Controlled by | English Heritage |
Berkhamsted Castle is a ruined Norman motte-and-bailey castle at Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, England.
The original fortification dates from Saxon times. Work on the Norman structure was started in 1066 by William the Conqueror who later passed the castle to his half-brother, Robert, Count of Mortain. In the 12th century, the castle was home to Thomas Becket, Chancellor of England. In the 14th century, it became the residence of Edward, the Black Prince, and Geoffrey Chaucer was appointed Clerk to the Works. The castle has been owned by the Duchy of Cornwall since 1337.
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[edit] History
After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, King William granted the Manor and Honour of Berkhamsted to his half-brother, Robert of Mortain, and started work on the castle, at that time a timber structure. Berkhamsted was of some strategic importance, and there was already a Saxon fort guarding the main route through the valley.
Henry I held court at the castle in 1123. During his reign and that of his successor, Henry II, the castle was in the hands of the Chancellors, including Thomas Becket. Extensive building works were undertaken during this period. The earliest stone buildings date from Thomas's time (1155–1164). The castle was taken back by Henry II in 1163, from Thomas Becket, then Archbishop of Canterbury, whom Henry had accused of misappropriating cash.
Richard I gave the castle to his queen, Berengaria of Navarre, in 1191. She lived there until Richard’s death in 1199, when the castle came into the possession of Richard's brother, John. In 1204, John granted the castle to his queen, Isabella of Angoulême, who lived there until 1216, when Prince Louis of France (later Louis VIII) laid siege to the castle. The defenders held out for only two weeks.
1227: Richard, Earl of Cornwall, younger brother of Henry III, was granted the castle. He used it as one of his main residences and the administrative centre of the Earldom of Cornwall. His wife Isabel later died here, following childbirth, in 1240.
1291: Edward granted Berkhamsted to his second queen, Margaret of France. On her death, Isabella of France, queen of Edward II, succeeded.
Edward III gave the castle to his son Edward, the Black Prince in 1337, as part of the newly-created Duchy of Cornwall. After his capture by the Black Prince at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, John II of France was imprisoned in the castle.
1361: The Black Prince spent his honeymoon at the castle, and hunted in its extensive deer park.
1389: Geoffrey Chaucer was appointed Clerk to the Works. It is not known how much time he actually spent at the castle, however.
1399: On his accession, Henry IV granted the castle to his son, later Henry V. It then passed to Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI's queen.
Edward IV granted the castle to his mother Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, in 1469. She lived here for the remainder of her life, but after her death, the castle gradually fell into decay. In 1580, Elizabeth I leased the Manor of Berkhamsted, including the ruined castle and the deer park, for the nominal rent of one red rose to Sir Edward Carey, Keeper of the Queen’s Jewels. He built Berkhamsted Place on the hill above the castle, using stone from the ruins.
During the first half of the 19th century, concern began to grow about the impact of the Industrial Revolution on Britain's archaeological and historical heritage, and as a result, many antiquarian societies were founded during that period. The development of the railways was considered to be a particular threat. Northampton Castle was demolished, and the city walls of York, Chester, and Newcastle were breached, to make way for the railways. In 1833, Berkhamsted Castle became the first historic structure to be afforded statutory protection against railway development.[1]
[edit] Present-day
The castle is in the care of English Heritage. The ruins are open to visitors. Admission is free.
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Richards 2002, p. 170
- Bibliography
- Richards, Jeffrey (2002), "The 'Lancashire Novelist' and the Lancashire witches", in Poole, Robert, The Lancashire Witches: Histories and Stories, Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp. 166–187, ISBN 978-0719062049
[edit] Further reading
- Remfry, Paul Martin (1995), Berkhamsted Castle 1066 to 1495, SCS Publishing, ISBN 1-899376-09-7
[edit] External links
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