I am intrigued by architecture, and this shows an excellent example of a Norman doorway and Norman windows. The building dates from the late 1100s and is all that is left of Oakham Castle, other than the earth ramparts.

Tags:   Oakham Rutland Oakham Castle Oakham Castle Great Hall Norman architecture

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The early Norman stone square keep dates from the 12th century, and was built on the site of an earlier Norman wooden castle. The rest of the castle dates from the late 13th century.

The keep is unusually narrow and was presumably for defensive purposes rather than day-to-day living accommodation. Its entrance was originally on the first floor, reached via an easily defended staircase. This has subsequently been converted into a window and a new entrance cut into the ground floor. The lower courses of stonework are rough, and this would have originally been covered in earth.

The castle is managed by English Heritage.

Source: Wikipedia

Tags:   Herefordshire Goodrich Castle Norman castles keeps medieval buildings English Heritage

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Duiring our recent week in Shropshire we crossed the Welsh border to pay a visit to Montgomery, just a few miles away.

The beautiful little town of Montgomery (Trefaldwyn in Welsh) is in the Welsh Marches, just a mile from the border with England and Shropshire. The town was established around a Norman stone castle on a crag. The castle had been built in the early 13th century to control an important ford over the nearby River Severn and replaced an earlier motte and bailey fortification at Hen Domen, one mile away. An important supporter of William the Conqueror, Roger de Montgomery - originally from Montgomery in the Pays d'Auge in Normandy - was given this part of the Welsh Marches by William and his name was given to the town surrounding the castle.

During the English Civil War in the 1640s the castle was captured by Parliamentary forces and subsequently slighted (damaged) to remove its military threat. For more details please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_Castle.

Tags:   Wales Montgomery castles ruins castle ruins

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Goodrich Castle is situated to the north of the village of Goodrich in Herefordshire, and is on the west bank of the River Wye. It controlled a key location between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye, whichj is about five miles to the north. It was praised by William Wordsworth as the "noblest ruin in Herefordshire" and is considered by historian Adrian Pettifer to be the "most splendid in the county, and one of the best examples of English military architecture". It is owned by English Heritage and open to the public.

Tags:   Herefordshire Goodrich Castle English Heritage castles River Wye

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At Burgh Castle in Norfolk, just a couple of miles from Great Yarmouth, are the substantial remains of a Roman fort dating from the 3rd century AD. It is one of nine substantial "Forts of the Saxon Shore" built to help defend Britain from raids by Saxon invaders from Germany. This fort, which is believed to have been known as Gariannonum, was large enough for between 500 and 1,000 foot soldiers or 500 mounted soldiers and their horses. Three walls of the rectangular-shaped fort remain. The fourth, overlooking the River Waveney, has fallen into the marshes.

Tags:   Norfolk Burgh Castle Roman forts Forts of the Saxon Shore castles Roman buildings architecture forts ruins Gariannonum

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