Castles Fit For A King!
England is littered with castles. Some
are mere ruins, but others stand as proud today as they did when they were
built many hundred years ago. They come
in many shapes and sizes, have seen battles and sieges, and witnessed acts of
bravery and cowardice and betrayal.
Castles are a part of the English culture
and allow us to imagine how life was lived back in the days of knights and fair
ladies. The oldest remaining castles date back to Norman times, when William
the Conqueror’s men needed protection from the English, whom they had so
recently defeated. Some were simple
defensive fortresses, others elaborate homes.
But life in a castle was never
comfortable. Imagine living through a
long, wet English winter inside one of the big stone keeps, with no glass in
the windows, no running water, only candlelight to see by, and no heating but a
fireplace strategically placed in the centre of the cavernous hall. But still, people managed; couples fell in
love, children were born and rulers passed with the years. What remains today are beautifully
constructed buildings, monuments to the superb architects and craftsmen that
built them, and memories to the people who made their homes there.
Castles are often found atop a hill
overlooking the countryside below. This gave the lord an advantage in seeing an
enemy approaching and being able to prepare for battle. To increase ones
safety, many of them had moats around them filled with water or detestable
creatures to deter an army for even more time to prepare.
During the 15th century, many
castles were destroyed or badly damaged badly in the Wars of the Roses. Gunpowder
had recently appeared on the battlefields of Europe
and while castles had withstood sieges for many hundred years, they were not
proof against cannon fire. Many were
lost during those turbulent years and those that remained give us some of the
picturesque castle ruins that the English landscape is so famous for.
Many of the castles that remain today are in
the care of the National Trust or English Heritage and make a great day out
while visiting England. Many have been made into a place where
visitors can experience the past and see what they would have felt had they
lived during this time. It will definitely change the way you view modern life
today.
About Author:
Please visit http://www.essentially-england.com/
to learn about England’s history,food and culture. Check out some
interesting facts like staying in a lighthouse, driving a steam train
and playing golf late at night.
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