Featured, English Castles
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a bend of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-and-bailey castle was rebuilt in stone during the 12th century. The castle has had 36 different owners since 1068 and has seen through 7 different monarchs. From 1088 to 1242 there have been 6 different Earl of Warwick owners under the name Beaumont. From 1268 to 1449 there were also 6 different owners under the name of Beauchamp. The castle has had major renovations done through every single century and is now owned by Merlin entertainments group as a visitor attraction.
Wray Castle
In the 1840s a surgeon and an heiress from Liverpool began building a castle with panoramic Lake District views that would only ever have to defend itself from the Cumbrian weather. With all the furniture and artwork long gone and the last family moving out in the 1920s, the castle has had mixed uses and first opened to visitors in 2011. The castle has church-like interiors but it’s a work in progress and the National Trust is continually learning about its past. Discover more of the castle’s colorful history by joining one of the daily talks or tours. Families can explore the activity rooms, where there’s plenty of space for a creative play inspired by the story of Wray Castle.
Bamburgh Castle
Located on the north east coast in Northumberland this grade 1 listed castle dates back as early as 420 when it was first built as a Celtic britonic fort. It came under Anglo Saxon control in 590 but was subsequently destroyed in 993 by Vikings. Later a new castle was built by the Normans and was acquired by the monarch in 1095. The castle from that period has all the core elements of the one that stands today. It did under go renovations in the 18th and 19th century and was then bough by a victorian Industrialist called William Armstrong who completed the renovations. The castle to this day still belongs to the Armstrong family and is open to the general public as a visitor attraction.
Stately Homes
Castle Howard
The history of castle Howard goes back to 1699 when the village of Henderskelfe was destroyed. The construction of castle Howard was started in 1701 by John Vanbrugh and the 3rd Earl of Carlisle Lord William Howard, it took over 100 years to complete. The estate of castle Howard covers over 13,000 acres including the villages of Wellburn, Slingsby, Bulmer, Coneysthorpe and Terrington. Castle Howard has been used for a number of TV and film locations including the TV series Brideshead revisited. Castle Howard has now been open to the public since 1952 and is known as one of the largest stately homes and estates in the UK.
Blenheim Palace
One of the most spectacular stately homes in the world, home to the Duke of Marlborough it was given a unesco world heritage site in 1987. Built between 1705 and 1722 this was the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill.