Alnwick Castle: Power on the Border

Overlooking the River Coquet, the majestic ruins of Warkworth Castle stand as a powerful reminder of the conflicts that once engulfed Northern England.

Bolsover Castle exemplifies the English Renaissance style and contains rare examples of elaborate Baroque carved fireplaces and ceilings.

Corfe Castle is an iconic medieval castle located in the village of Corfe in Dorset, England. 

The origins of Ludlow Castle reach back into the shadowed years immediately following the Norman Conquest of 1066. Erected upon a commanding promontory above the River Teme, near the turbulent Welsh frontier, this motte-and-bailey stronghold served as one of the first stone castles in England, a resolute forward post from which the Normans might press their claims into Wales. Walter de Lacy, granted the manor shortly after Hastings, began the work; his sons Roger and Hugh raised the earliest surviving masonry—the great ringwork with its four towers and rock-hewn ditch—that still defies time. In the twelfth century the de Lacys consolidated their hold, replacing timber defences with enduring sandstone curtain walls, towers, and a formidable gatehouse. Through the Anarchy and beyond, the castle changed hands amid baronial strife, yet each lord added to its strength: an outer bailey by the later twelfth century, an innermost enclosure in the thirteenth for greater seclusion. By the close of the medieval age, Ludlow had become the grandest fortress for many miles—a sandstone bastion of Norman, Gothic, and emerging Tudor forms, its inner bailey ringed by high walls pierced with turrets and barbican, its outer court alive with stables, workshops, and lodgings. The Heart of the Marcher Lordship No castle better embodied the peculiar power of the Welsh Marches than Ludlow. Here the Marcher Lords—those semi-autonomous barons granted vast liberties by the English crown—exercised their authority as wardens of the border. In return for defending the realm against Welsh incursions, they held rights almost regal within their domains. Ludlow became their caput, the chief seat of government and justice. The Mortimers, acquiring the lordship in 1301, made it their principal residence; Roger Mortimer, first Earl of March, rebuilt the Great Chamber block in the 1320s with chivalric flourish, even as he rose—and fell—in rebellion against Edward II. Later still, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, established his household here during the gathering storm of the Wars of the Roses, rendering Ludlow a nerve-centre of Yorkist ambition. In 1473 Edward IV, drawing upon his own boyhood memories of the Marches, sent his son Edward (the future uncrowned Edward V) to reside at Ludlow as titular head of the newly formalised Council in the Marches of Wales. This body, part administrative council, part high court, governed the border shires and much of Wales itself. Ludlow thus assumed the character of a regional capital; nobles journeyed thither for its sittings, swelling the town's prosperity and importance. For more than two centuries the castle remained the very pulse of Marcher administration, its halls resonant with the counsels and conspiracies that shaped the realm. A Nursery of Princes Among the most poignant chapters in Ludlow's annals is the brief residence of Prince Arthur Tudor, eldest son of Henry VII and heir presumptive to the throne. Created Prince of Wales at three, despatched to the Marches at seven to learn the arts of rule, Arthur grew to manhood within these walls, tutored in letters, governance, and the decorum of Renaissance courts. The solar block—its broad windows flooding light upon his desk—served as his schoolroom; here he presided, in name at least, over the Council, gaining experience of justice and command. In the winter of 1501–2, the fifteen-year-old prince welcomed his bride, Catherine of Aragon, to Ludlow after their proxy marriage in London. Their union, intended to seal the Tudor dynasty's security, lasted but five months; Arthur succumbed to illness—perhaps the sweating sickness—on 2 April 1502. Catherine survived to wed his brother Henry, yet Ludlow retains its melancholy association with the tragic prince whose early death altered the course of English history. Tudor Pomp and Civil Strife The Tudors lavished attention upon Ludlow, transforming it from frontier fortress into symbol of royal dominion. Henry VII ordered improvements to proclaim Tudor presence; Henry VIII's sister Mary Tudor defied her brother by secretly wedding Charles Brandon here in 1513. Later, Mary (daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine) spent winters at the castle between 1525 and 1528, presiding over the Council as Princess of Wales. Under Elizabeth I, Sir Henry Sidney, long President of the Council, oversaw the final great refurbishments: state apartments, glazed windows, judicial chambers. The Great Hall witnessed masques and entertainments, including Milton's Comus in 1634. Yet the castle's Tudor splendour yielded to the brutal realities of the English Civil War. Seized by Royalists in 1642, it endured three sieges before surrendering to Parliament in 1646. Parliamentary orders slighted its defences—roofs stripped, walls breached—to render it untenable. Though briefly revived after the Restoration, the Council was abolished in 1689; Ludlow sank into neglect, its courtyards grazed by cattle, its masonry overtaken by ivy. Restoration and Enduring Glory For two centuries the ruins slumbered, guarded only by a solitary gatekeeper. In the nineteenth century, however, the Earls of Powis—leasing from the Crown since 1772 and purchasing outright in 1811—began to arrest decay. Anthony Salvin supervised partial restoration of the state apartments; later efforts cleared vegetation and stabilised fabric. Today, owned by the Trustees of the Powis Castle Estate and open to the public as a Grade I listed monument, Ludlow stands among the most complete and evocative medieval fortresses in Britain. Over nine centuries its stones have witnessed conquest, rebellion, royal tragedy, and administrative pomp. From Norman wardens to Marcher Lords, from the doomed Arthur to the intrigues of Tudor and Stuart times, the castle remains a living chronicle of power on the Welsh border. To walk its baileys today is to tread where history itself was forged—to hear, in the wind through the battlements, the faint echoes of princes, rebels, and kings. Ludlow Castle endures, not merely as relic, but as testament to the enduring fascination of our medieval past.

Raby Castle is a medieval castle located in County Durham, England. It has a rich history dating back to the 11th century.

Bamburgh Castle began as an Anglo-Saxon royal stronghold in 547 and later became a Norman fortress, Wars of the Roses battleground and Tudor garrison. Restored in the Victorian era, it remains one of England’s most historically continuous castles, guarding the Northumberland coast for over fourteen centuries.

Beeston Castle is a place where history and legend intertwine, creating a unique experience that appeals to all ages.

Norwich Castle’s long and varied history makes it one of the most interesting castles in England. From its beginnings as a Norman stronghold to its time as a royal palace, a prison, and finally a museum, the castle has played a central role in the history of Norwich and the wider region.

Lincoln Castle is a major Norman castle in Lincolnshire, England with a history dating back to 1068. 

Founded by William the Conqueror in 1068, Nottingham Castle evolved from Norman fortress to royal palace, ducal mansion and burnt ruin. Destroyed during the 1831 Reform Riots and later restored, it now stands as a cultural landmark. Its history reflects England’s journey from conquest to constitutional change.

Overlooking the Solent in Hampshire, Hurst Castle is one of the south coast's most iconic Tudor fortifications. A highlight for many are the panoramic views from the ramparts taking in the Isle of Wight, the Needles rocks and miles of coastline.

Bodiam Castle, built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, is one of England’s most complete medieval fortresses. Designed to defend the River Rother yet carefully composed for display, it blends military purpose with social ambition. Today its moat-framed ruins remain an enduring symbol of late medieval power.

Arundel Castle, founded in 1067 after the Norman Conquest, has endured siege, civil war and Victorian reinvention. Long associated with the Howard family, Dukes of Norfolk, it remains both aristocratic residence and national landmark. Few English castles reflect such sustained political and architectural continuity.

Kenilworth Castle evolved from Norman stronghold to Tudor spectacle. Expanded by King John and tested in the six-month siege of 1266, it later hosted Elizabeth I’s grand 1575 festival. Damaged after the Civil War, its vast ruins remain among England’s most evocative monuments to medieval power.

Leeds Castle is more than just a beautiful building; it is a living piece of history that has evolved over the centuries. From its beginnings as a Norman stronghold to its royal connections, especially with queens consort, and its later role as a private estate, the castle has witnessed many key moments in England’s past.

Dover Castle, founded by Henry II in the 1160s, stands on a site fortified since the Iron Age. From Norman keep to Tudor artillery fortress and World War II command centre, it has guarded England’s narrowest frontier for two millennia. Few sites better embody Britain’s defensive history.

While many castles boast a history of kings and queens, the Tower of London has been a royal residence with a difference. Fact and myth intertwine when it comes to the grisly reputation of the Tower. Tales of torture, execution and imprisonment attract those seeking a darker side of British history.

Explore how Windsor Castle evolved through the medieval era to its transformation into the architectural marvel we see today.