Historic Places in London and South East

Amberley Castle is in the village of Amberley, West Sussex. The castle was built as a 12th century manor house. It was converted to a fortress for the bishops of Chichester in 1377 with addition of high curtain walls, towers and gatehouse. The castle is still completely enclosed by a high curtain wall, and accessed via a twin-tower gatehouse with portcullis to the south. At midnight each night, the two tonne oak Portcullis is lowered for the night. Amberley Castle has been converted to a luxury hotel, and has 19 luxurious hotel bedrooms and suites, many with four-poster beds and all featuring Jacuzzi bathrooms. Hotel facilities include two restaurants, lounge areas, tennis court, croquet lawn, gardens and lakes, 18-hole putting course and a thatched-roof tree house complete with rope bridge. Inside the walls, the castle has beautiful landscaped gardens. In 1140, Bishop Seffrid I built the first stone hall at Amberley. Seffrid II added the east wing about 1200. The Great Hall was added between 1305-1337 by Bishop John of Langton. In 1588, Amberley was leased to the Crown in the reign of Elizabeth I. James Butler bought Amberley in 1648 from commissioners of sequestered estates. The estate was acquired by the Bishopric again in 160 and leased to the Butlers. The Duke of Norfolk purchased Amberley Castle in 1893 bringing an end to church ownership. Princess Elizabeth visited the castle in 1945. The castle had a number of owners in the 20th century and was bought by the von Essen luxury hotel group in 2007.

Arundel Castle is located four miles north of Littlehampton in West Sussex, England. The castle is now the home of the Duke of Norfolk and his family. It is a Grade I listed building. Most of the castle and 40 acres of grounds and gardens are open to the general public, except for the private apartments within the quadrangle. The castle interior features paintings, period furniture, tapestries and stained glass, sculpture and carving, heraldry and armour. The castle has a shop and restaurant. Arundel Castle is built on a hill and there are some steep stairs and narrow passages. About two thirds of the Castle interior is accessible to wheelchairs, subject to some width limits Arundel Castle was built in 1068 during the reign of William the Conqueror as a fortification for the River Arun. The castle was built by Roger de Montgomery, the first earl of Arundel, as a motte and bailey castle. After the death of Roger de Montgomery, the castle reverted to the crown under Henry I. The King left Arundel Castle to his second wife Adeliza of Louvain. In 1138 she married William d'Aubigny. In 1176, William d'Aubigny died and Arundel Castle then reverted to the crown, under Henry II. When Henry died, the castle remained in the possession of Richard I ("the Lionheart"), who returned it to the Aubigny family under William III comte de Sussex. The castle passed to the FitzAlan of Clun family through marriage, and remained with the FitzAlan family until 1555. The FitzAlan line ceased when Mary FitzAlan, daughter of the nineteenth earl, married Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. During the Civil War (1642-45), the Castle was badly damaged when it was attacked twice - firstly by Royalists who took control, and then by Cromwell's Parliamentarian forces who destroyed its fortifications. Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk carried out considerable restoration work and improvements in the late 18th century. Henry Charles Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk refurbished the castle prior to the visit by Queen Victoria in 1846. The suite of rooms in which Victoria stayed as they were and are now called the "Victoria Rooms". The castle is still owned by the Howard family. The Arts Arundel Castle was used in a number of movies and TV shows: the Doctor Who episode Silver Nemesis (1988); The Madness of King George (1994); Victoria & Albert (2001 TV serial); The Young Victoria (2008); MacGyver TV movie Trails to Doomsday.

Berkhamsted Castle is a located at Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire. The castle is a motte and bailey construction build originally in Norman times. The bailey is large with parts of the curtain wall still standing. The motte stands to one side with remains of the stone tower standing. The keep was a stone tower three storeys high. The castle is surrounded by two moats separated by an earth rampart. The ruins are open to visitors. Berkhamsted Castle was a royal castle for a long list of English monarchs and their families, including William the Conqueror, King John, through to Henry VIII who gave it in turn to three of his queens, Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour. Building of the castle started in 1066 by William the Conqueror who later passed the castle to Robert, Count of Mortain. During the reigns of Henry I and Henry II, the castle was in the hands of the Chancellors. In the 12th Century, Thomas Becket, Chancellor of England and later Archbishop of Canterbury lived in the castle. In early 1200s, King John added wing walls on the south side of the motte, and round towers along the curtain wall. King John gave the castle to his queen, Isabella of Angoulême, who lived there until 1216. In 1337, Edward III gave the castle to his son Edward, the Black Prince as part of the Duchy of Cornwall. Since then, the castle has been owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. The castle gradually fell into disrepair in the 15rg century. The castle is now in the care of English Heritage. Berkhamsted Castle was an early motte & bailey castle built as a direct result of the Norman Conquest. Photo was taken from the top of the motte.

Bramber Castle, a Norman motte and bailey castle, is located in the village of Bramber, West Sussex about 12 miles north-west of Brighton. The castle is a ruin, and little remains apart from the wall of a tall gatehouse which was converted into a keep, and parts of the curtain wall in the north and east sides. There are also foundations of other buildings which may have been living quarters and a guardhouse. To the north of the gatehouse is the original castle motte rising to about 10m. The grassy areas in the bailey are well maintained. The moat is dry and can be used as a path to walk round the site. The site is owned by English Heritage and is open to the public. The castle was built by William De Braose around 1070 (not long after the battle of Hastings) to guard the port on the river Adur. It was a motte and bailey structure built on a natural mound, with a moat surrounding the whole castle. The castle was held by the De Braose family until 1324 (apart from a period when it was captured during reign of King John) . During the Civil War the castle was attacked and damaged in 1642 by Parliamentary forces, who attacked it with guns placed in the nearby church.

Camber Castle is located in Rye, East Sussex. The castle was an artillery fort built by Henry VIII to guard the port of Rye. The remains include an earlier central tower surrounded by four outer towers which used to be gun platforms. It is open to the public at weekends from July to September. There are also monthly guided walks round Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, including the castle. The first building on the site was a circular tower built by Sir Edward Guldeford between 1512 and 1514. The tower was built on a shingle bank, and defended the harbour at the port of Rye. In 1538, when there a threat of invasion from France and Spain, Henry VIII build a line of forts along the south coast. One of these was at Camber, where a new fort was built around the existing tower between 1539 and 1544. Four D-shaped gun platforms and a large semicircular gatehouse were built round the original tower, linked by an octagonal wall. Silting resulted in the shore line receding, and by the end of the 16th century the castle was largely obsolete and was abandoned in 1637. Camber Castle was taken over by the state in 1967 and is now owned by English Heritage.

Cooling Castle is located six miles north of Rochester, Kent. The castle was built on the edge of marshes at Cooling to guard the Thames - it is now about two miles inland. It has a double bailey. The larger eastern bailey has a tower in each corner and earth walls in between surrounded by a dry moat, there is an impressive gateway flanked by twin drum towers . The smaller western bailey has stone walls with a tower in each corner and a wet moat on three sides. The castle is now in ruins but the gatehouse remains in good condition. There is a private house inside the castle owned by musician Jools Holland. The barns at Cooling Castle are used for weddings and functions. There are three barns for hire: The Heritage Barn for the reception of guests, The Fathom Barn for the Marriage Ceremony and The Tithe Barn for the Wedding Breakfast. Cooling Castle was built between 1380 and 1385 by John Cobham. The castle was besieged in 1554 by Thomas Wyatt the younger and was damaged by cannon fire. The Castle was abandoned after Wyatt's rebellion. During the 1990s, the property was owned by the Rochester bridge wardens.

Deal Castle is located right on the beach in the town of Deal in the south east of England, its important position was chosen to guard a stretch of water used as an anchorage and landing ground. This Tudor artillery castle is built of reused materials such as Caen stone, brick and Kentish ragstone removed from dissolved religious buildings nearby. The castle is surrounded by a curtain wall with six low bastion's and gun platforms. The castle itself consists of a three storey circular tower with six semicircular towers projecting from it. These towers give the castle the appearance of a Tudor rose form the air and are perfectly symmetrical. The castle is protected further by a dry moat and gatehouse with its murder holes and gun port which are still in good condition. Facilities The castle is open every day between1st April and the 30th September from 10am until 6pm. Visitors can explore the whole castle including the captains quarters, visit the interactive exhibition and shop. The castle was the earliest in a line of coastal forts built between 1539 and 1540 by Henry VIII to protect England against the Catholic invasion from Spain and France. The outer walls were rounded to offer more strength and protection against cannon fire and were constructed with over 200 cannon and gun ports. The anticipated battles never occurred, but during the Civil War in 1648 the castle did see hard fighting and was taken by both the Royalist rebels and the Parliamentarians before it was finally surrendered. Since the 1700 the castle has had a captain who commanded the garrison stationed there; although today the title is purely an honorary one. After this time the castle was fortified and improvements made in both the 18th and 19th centuries with the rebuilding of the Governor's lodgings before they were destroyed again by German bombs during the Second World War. In 1951 the Ministry of Public Works took over the care of the castle although it still remained part of the Crown's estate, it is now in the hands of English Heritage. Legends Accounts suggest that the castle was also used a resting place by Anne of Cleves on her long journey to London before her fateful marriage to King Henry VIII.

Uncover the incredible history of England’s mightiest castle. A day out at Dover Castle is a day out you’ll never forget. With just one ticket you’ll practice defending your own castle and burn off some energy in the Siege Play Area, climb the Medieval Great Tower to discover the pomp and pageantry of King Henry II’s court or take a tour in the Secret Wartime Tunnels where the story of Operation Dynamo is brought to life. Walk to the newly opened viewpoint for that perfect selfie or group photo with the castle in the background, and round off your day with delicious food and drink in one of the cafés.

Eynsford Castle is a medieval castle overlooking the River Darent in Eynsford, Kent. Eynsford Castle is a Norman enclosure castle now in ruins. The original castle consisted of a bailey protected by a stone curtain wall, with an outer bailey beyond the wall. There is little evidence left of the outer bailey. The inner bailey is now little more than an earth mound surrounded by a curtain wall and moat. The curtain wall was about 9 m tall and about 2 m wide and parts of it still stand to the full height. The inner bailey was reached by a bridge over the moat. the original bridge has long since disappeared, with the current wooden bridge built in the 1960s. Facilities There is a small car park on the site. Parts of the site are wheelchair accessible, but some areas are accessed by steps. Eynsford Castle was built by the Eynsford family in the 11th century. A new hall was built in the 12th century along with a new gatehouse. The wall was also heightened around this time. In the 14th century, a dispute over castle ownership resulted in the castle being vandalized and later left vacant. The castle went on to be used a hunting kennels and stables during the 18th century until the mid 19th century. The north side of the curtain wall round the bailey collapsed in the 19th century, and some of the terrace edge is now retained with a concrete wall. Ownership of the castle was transferred to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1937, and later guardianship was passed to the Ministry of Works in 1948. The castle is now owned by English Heritage. Legends In 2018, the tabloid press reported stories about a 'black monk' ghost at Eynsford Castle. A visitor had apparently taken photographs with a mysterious black cloaked figure in the background. Was it a ghost or was there perhaps a more down to earth explanation?

Farnham Castle is situated in five acres of grounds overlooking the town of Farnham, near the border between Surrey and Hampshire . The main castle is a "shell keep" which is basically a stone structure surrounding the top of the enclosed motte. The keep, has buttress turrets and a gatehouse. The inner bailey has a number of buildings and a fifteenth-century entrance tower. The outer bailey curtain wall has square towers, a 13th-century gatehouse and a moat. The Bishop's Palace in the grounds is an impressive 17th century building and is open for guided tours. Facilities There is free parking near the entrance, and there are toilets at the castle. Access to the keep is via steep flights of uneven steps. Farnham castle was built in the 12th century and was the residence of the bishops of Winchester. The original Norman castle was demolished the 12th century and rebuilt again. The castle is a motte and bailey construction with the motte built around the foundations of the earlier Norman tower. There was also a larger outer Bailey surrounded by a curtain wall. The castle was partially destroyed after and Civil War in 1648 and a number of additional buildings have been built on the site since then, the most impressive of which is the Bishop's Palace built in the 17th century. The Bishop's Palace was restored in 2006 and The Keep was restored in 2010. have been restored. The castle is now used as a centre for training, conferences, events and weddings.

Guildford Castle is located 30 miles south of London in centre of Guildford town. The castle's gardens and original shell keep are the only remaining parts of the castle complex still remaining. Constructed from light colored stone the two storey keep has been conserved with a new roof and floors with some crenellations visible. Facilities The tower is open daily between 10am and 5pm April to September 10am to 5pm and at weekends during March and October and the grounds open from 8am until dusk. Visitors can see inside the main tower where some rooms are open to the public and also gain access to the roof for views over the grounds. In addition the tower is also used to exhibit items related to the castle's history. The gatehouse is used as the Guildford Museum with local history and archaeology items on display as well as a specialist needlework collection. Guildford Castle was built by William the Conqueror after the battle of Hastings and was originally a Norman motte and bailey castle. Early in the 12th century the wooden defenses were replaced by a stone castle. A polygonal shell keep, a further two story square flanking keep and an outer bailey were all added in the 1130's and the keep became both a jail and the headquarters for the county sheriff. During the 13th century Henry III ordered improvements to be made. The great hall was decorated with paintings and colored glass windows, his apartments were painted green with gold and silver stars, he added a garden with marble columns and the bailey was extended with a set of rooms being built for his son Edward. The castle was never involved in any battles or sieges and from the 14th century started to fall into disrepair, by 1379 everything but the Kings chamber and the keep had fallen down. The keep continued to be used as a jail until 1544 when it relocated and the gardener John Daborne was left in charge. In 1611 King James I granted the castle to Francis Carter who removed the roof and rented out parts of the grounds for farming. In 1885 the current owner Lord Grantley sold the site to the Guildford Corporation who restored the walls and tower and opened it to the public. In 2003 a conservation and restoration project was started on the keep which revealed the original crenellations; a new floor and roof were also constructed.

Hastings Castle is located cliff edge over looking the English Channel in the town of Hastings, 66 miles south of London Today's ruins date back to the 1070's and are only half of the original structure. The site mainly consists of the church of St Mary in the Castle, parts of a surrounding wall and tower built of light coloured stone. Facilities The castle is open to visitors daily between April and October 10am until 5pm and weekends in April. As well as exploring the castle ruins visitors can watch an audio visual presentation entitled 'The 1066 Story' which not only tells of the conquest but also the history of the castle through the ages. On arrival in England in 1066 William of Normandy ordered several fortifications to be built, one of those being Hastings Castle. Originally built near the shore as a motte and bailey castle it was rebuilt in stone in1070. At the end of the Battle of Hastings the castle was left with one of William's commanders who handed both the castle and the town of Hastings to Robert, Count of Eu, he was responsible for founding the Church of St Mary in the Castle within the castle walls. The castle then went through many periods of being dismantled and then being rebuilt again by Henry II, III and Edward II, all fearing invasion from the French. In 1287 the area was battered by high winds and terrific storms over many months, the sandstone cliffs were badly eroded causing sections of the castle to fall into the sea. Over the following centuries the castle continued to decay and much more fell into the sea below, it was sold and the site used for farming before being left abandoned. The castle suffered its final attack during bombing raids in the Second World War when the area was mistaken for London. Finally in 1951 the site was purchased by the Hastings Corporation who converted the ruins into a tourist attraction. Legends There are numerous 'ghost' stories in relation to the castle amongst them a lady in a shimmering white gown, thought to be a lady of distinction who attended tournaments at the castle and Thomas a Beckett, thought to have been the church's Dean.

Herstmonceux Castle is set in an estate of parkland and Elizabethan gardens, 12 miles west of Hastings on the south coast of England. The brick built Tudor castle gives the appearance of being built in the middle of a lake but in reality it is a very wide moat. The two storey castle is approached over a brick built bridge with a gatehouse opening out into an internal courtyard. The castle walls have octagonal towers with projecting galleries at each corner, with semi octagonal towers in between. The castle's gatehouse is set between two tall semi octagonal towers with a coat of arms above the entrance. Facilities Today the castle is the home to the Bader International Study Centre; part of the University of Canada, however visitors do have the opportunity to see inside parts of the castle with a guided tour. Tours giving an insight into life within the castle, tales of smugglers and family history are generally given once or twice a day between 11am and 2pm; visitors are requested to check as on some occasions tours may not take place. Visitors are also able to walk though the castle's gardens and woodland, stroll down to the lake and see the 1930's folly. The castle also offers visitors a tea room, gift shop, visitor and science centre, nature trail and children's play area. The castle is also licensed for civil wedding ceremonies; choose from the ballroom suitable for up to 180 guests, the Dacre Room for up to 70 guests or for a small intimate ceremony the Elizabethan Room for 30 guests. All rooms are beautifully decorated and have their own theme. Sir Richard Finnes; treasurer to Henry VI, started the brick built castle in 1441. The castle was not built as a stronghold more a luxury home and was kept within the family until it was sold by the Earl of Sussex in 1700. By the end of the century the castle had been demolished by its owner Robert Hare, leaving just the exterior walls, the other remains being removed to make a residence nearby. It wasn't until 1913 when restoration work was started by Colonel Crowther who transformed the castle back to one of the most significant and oldest brick buildings in England. After its restoration the castle passed through many hands and between 1957 and 1988 the grounds became home to the Royal Greenwich observatory. The observatory then moved to Cambridge but several of the telescopes remain at the castle today in the original buildings now called the Interactive Science Centre. In 1994, after a long restoration process the castle became home to the Bader International study centre which is used by undergraduate law students.

Often mistaken for being in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, Leeds Castle is situated four miles south of Maidstone, Kent in the south of England. Set in 500 acres of parkland and beautiful gardens the renovated castle is accessed via a stone bridge across a moat. The site comprises of a medieval gatehouse, a Tudor tower, an elevated French gloriette or garden building and a two storey 19th century house extending out into the moat at the rear. Facilities Open from 10am every day, there are a huge range of things for visitors to do from self guided audio or family audio tours; taking visitors through the castle's history from the servants eyes, to playing a round of golf at the 9 hole golf course or taking a balloon flight. For a more sedate visit the Culpeper, Woodland and Mediterranean gardens with internationally renowned aviaries and free roaming birds are the place to visit for a quiet stroll. Get lost in the castle's yew maze or for the little ones a turf maze, visit the grotto, take the land train to various stops around the estate or visit the vineyard used to make the castle's very own vintage. The castle also has a restaurant and a number of the light refreshment kiosks around the estate as well as a shop selling souvenirs. The castle is also licensed for civil wedding ceremonies, choose from the gatehouse, tower, dining room or library, the staff can arrange every detail for the special day including a stay in the castles luxurious bedrooms with four poster beds. The first building on the site was a Saxon manor which was replaced in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoer. In 1278 the castle was transformed in to royal palace for King Edward I when a barbican with drawbridge, gateway and portcullis was added. During the rein of Henry VIII the castle was again transformed for his first wife Catherine of Aragon and was the place where his daughter, Elizabeth I was imprisoned before being made Queen. The Culpeper family were resident in the castle at the time of the Civil War and because they were parliamentarian sympathizers the castle did not sustain any damage. In 1926 the castle was purchased by the Honorable Lady Olive Baillie, she was responsible redesigning and decorating the interiors and having the castle totally renovated with French architects and designers. In 1976 the Leeds Castle Foundation was established and the castle was opened to the public for the first time. The Arts The castle grounds were the venue for two concerts by Sir Elton John in 1999.

Situated 8 miles from Brighton, Lewes Castle sits on a chalk mound at the highest point of the town overlooking the valley of the River Ouse on the edge of the South Downs Much of the castle site has been lost due the developing town, but parts of the oval bailey, two mottes, barbican and keep survive. Facilities The castle is open daily is open daily from 10 am until 5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday and from 11am Sunday and Monday (closed Monday's in January) The castle site and the adjacent Barbican House are run by the Sussex Archaeological Society, together they offer visitors interactive models, a visitor pavilion at the foot of the castle with photographs and information on the history of the castle and town and a new walkway to the top of the castle with seats along the way so visitors can stop and admire the view. The original wooden keep was rebuilt in stone by William, Earl of Surrey in 1087. The design was unusual because it had two mottes; one of only two castles with this feature remaining in the country. Around 150 years later two semi octagonal towers and a range of other buildings including a gate tower were added to the original shell keep. The Earl of Surrey, John de Warenne was responsible for adding the barbican and on his death in 1347 the castle was left to decay. The castle became a source of building material for local houses. By the 17th century what remained of the domestic buildings were demolished and during the 18th century the keep converted to a summer house. Since 1846 the castle has been owned by Sussex Past another name for the Sussex Archaeological Society.