Canterbury Castle
Canterbury Castle is in Canterbury, Kent, England (grid reference TR145574).
Phases
Norman era
A wooden motte and bailey castle was erected in 1066 - its motte may be the mound which is still visible in the Dane John gardens near the stone castle (which may in turn be a Roman burial mound), with Dane John deriving from donjon.
Stone castle
The large stone keep was largely constructed in the reign of Henry I as one of three Royal castles in Kent. By the 13th century the castle had become the county gaol. It was given up to the invading French in the First Barons' War. In 1380 a new gate was built.
By the 19th century it had been obtained by a gas company and was used as a storage centre for gas for many years, during which time the top floor was destroyed. It is now owned by the local authority, which has opened it up to the public.
References
- Canterbury Castle 1
- Canterbury Castle 2
- Fry, Plantagenet Somerset, The David & Charles Book of Castles, David & Charles, 1980. ISBN 0-7153-7976-3
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