Know any good castles?

[WotEver]

On 08/09/2018 at 16:01, frahkn said:

Warwick castle is near the canal (a fine example but rather commercialised).

One of the finest castles in the UK imho. 

[Dr Bob]

44 minutes ago, WotEver said:

One of the finest castles in the UK imho. 

........but eyewateringly expensive to get into though.

[bizzard]

There's also Rochester castle keep on the river Medway. Built just after 1066 during the reign of, I'm uncertain if it was Roger the 17th, Barry the 9th, King John or Billy the Conquerer, or was it Charles 1st who hid in a pub called the Royal Oak at the battle of Worcester. I find history confusin.

Edited September 9, 2018 by bizzard

[Bod]

11 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

........but eyewateringly expensive to get into though.

Look out for special offers.

We did Warwick castle this summer, due to a Cadbury offer, we paid less than 1/2 the walk up entry cost.

 

Bod

[BWM]

Not on the route that you have asked about but Dover castle is well worth a visit if you are down that way, the many tunnels created in the chalk during the world wars are interesting and contain plenty of war related exhibits. 

[WotEver]

11 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

........but eyewateringly expensive to get into though.

If you drive a Jag you could have gone yesterday for £15 for the two of you and parked up in a display of several hundred Jags of all ages and models. So hang on for another 12 months...

 

[davem399]

24 minutes ago, BWM said:

Not on the route that you have asked about but Dover castle is well worth a visit if you are down that way, the many tunnels created in the chalk during the world wars are interesting and contain plenty of war related exhibits. 

I was going to suggest Dover too.  Apparently, the largest castle in England according to Wiki.  It's where they organised the Dunkirk evacuation in the underground tunnels.  

[Nightwatch]

13 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

........but eyewateringly expensive to get into though.

We visited Warwick Castle about a month ago. Took the grandson so there were three of us. £63. Book on line five or more days before visit.

That included a superb and very well presented trip through the dungeons.

The story of the battle of the roses was also excellent, with a good story line, fantastic horseman/horselady ship. A great enactment and great audience participation.

The Castle itself is quite brilliant.

As has been said, commercialised, but still very good.

I almost forgot the excellent falconry display. Fabulous birds with humorous comentary from the falconer.

All in all, a great day out.

I have to confess I wasn't looking forward to it, as I don't do 'tourist', but I enjoyed it. 

Edited September 10, 2018 by Nightwatch

[TheBiscuits]

13 hours ago, bizzard said:

was it Charles 1st who hid in a pub called the Royal Oak

Well he wouldn't be seen dead in the Old Kings' Head would he!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

If you carry on along the Grand Union beyond Warwick there is Baddesley Clinton. Not a castle, but a moated 15th century house, so very castle like in atmosphere. Within walking distance of the canal, not far from the link to the Lapworth flight. National Trust.

Jen

[cuthound]

1 hour ago, Nightwatch said:

We visited Warwick Castle about a month ago. Took the grandson so there were three of us. £63. Book on line five or more days before visit.

That included a superb and very well presented trip through the dungeons.

The story of the battle of the roses was also excellent, with a good story line, fantastic horseman/horselady ship. A great enactment and great audience participation.

The Castle itself is quite brilliant.

As has been said, commercialised, but still very good.

I almost forgot the excellent falconry display. Fabulous birds with humorous comentary from the falconer.

All in all, a great day out.

I have to confess I wasn't looking forward to it, as I don't do 'tourist', but I enjoyed it. 

 

We took our grandkids last year.  They particularly enjoyed the working trebuchet demonstration.

 

As other have said expensive and commercialised but (just about) worth the entry fee. 

[Dr Bob]

1 hour ago, Nightwatch said:

We visited Warwick Castle about a month ago. Took the grandson so there were three of us. £63. Book on line five or more days before visit.

1 minute ago, cuthound said:

 

We took our grandkids last year.  They particularly enjoyed the working trebuchet demonstration.

 

 

 

What age kids is it aimed at? We may try it with the Grandkids next year. We have avoided it up to now.

[cuthound]

35 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

What age kids is it aimed at? We may try it with the Grandkids next year. We have avoided it up to now.

 

My grandkids (all girls) were 5 & 7 at the time. Plenty of things to keep them entertained.

 

The trebuchet is interesting for kids of all ages,  even this 64 year old one ?

 

They also enjoyed taking sides and rooting for their side during the war of the Roses display.

Edited September 10, 2018 by cuthound
To.add photos

[Scholar Gypsy]

Pembroke, Carew, Raglan. All in Wales, but all largely derelict which is what I like from a castle...  

[Nightwatch]

58 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

What age kids is it aimed at? We may try it with the Grandkids next year. We have avoided it up to now.

Our grandson is 14. I'm not. We both enjoyed the day. We took food and drinks with us. For what I could see the prices were high but not, in my view, extortionate. I have written to them suggesting more food and drink outlets as the queues for such were long and it wasn't a particularly busy day. Nor did we buy anything from the shops/stalls. 

[bizzard]

2 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Well he wouldn't be seen dead in the Old Kings' Head would he!

My historical memory for historical history is returning.   Actually it was King Charles 11 that hid in an oak tree after the battle of Worcester. Hence pubs called the Royal Oak.

[bizzard]

They named ''The battle of Waterloo'' after Waterloo station, or was it the other way round.

[PeterCr]

Thanks everyone, there's some good ideas there, agreed about Dover Castle, we saw that a few years ago and were most impressed. I'd go again if I was down that way some time.

 

Now to just put it all together and weave it into a cruise. Cheers

[Nightwatch]

1 hour ago, bizzard said:

They named ''The battle of Waterloo'' after Waterloo station, or was it the other way round.

I used to live in Waterlooville. Also named after the station, I think!

[Lily Rose]

19 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

........but eyewateringly expensive to get into though.

 

No-one has mentioned this so far (I think), so I will... the high cost of entry into Warwick Castle (and a number of other places, including, for example, Blenheim Palace) can be mitigated, or even eliminated, by the use of Tesco Clubcard vouchers. Assuming you shop there of course! Not as good as it used to be but still possible to convert £1 of vouchers in to £3 off the entry price. It's why I save mine up.

 

https://secure.tesco.com/clubcard/boost/warwick-castle-admission/UK-009801.prd

 

 

 

[Ray T]

5 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

What age kids is it aimed at? We may try it with the Grandkids next year. We have avoided it up to now.

What, the trebuchet? 

Edited September 10, 2018 by Ray T

[cuthound]

9 minutes ago, Ray T said:

What the trebuchet? 

 

Tee hee.

 

Thank goodness it now only fires stones. ?

 

When it first opened it fired stones covered in burning oil. Unfortunately one went further than planned, and according to our local news, burnt down an allotment, which brought a quick end to the pyrotechnic displays. ?

Edited September 10, 2018 by cuthound
To remove a letter masquerading as a space.

[WotEver]

5 hours ago, bizzard said:

They named ''The battle of Waterloo'' after Waterloo station, or was it the other way round.

At a festival at Moira a few years back there were civil war reenactments going on with muskets firing and each side ducking behind anything convenient. As one musketeer hid behind a toilet an onlooker commented to me “What is this, the Battle of Portaloo?”

[bizzard]

Rochester castle was bombarded with big stones slung at it with siege engines by attacking armies many times. The keep was undermined too with picks and props at one corner tower which collapsed. The round tower in my picture was the one, which was built later to replace the square one. The square ones were the original  Norman jobs from which big chunks could easily get knocked out of their corners by boulders slung from the siege engines. The boulders tended to glance off round towers without doing as much damage. A round structures in this context are much stronger than square ones. Why later castles were built with round towers. John Smeaton designed his lighthouses round instead of square for strength and less windage.

Edited September 10, 2018 by bizzard

[bizzard]

Dover castle had an underground passage that led up from the beach. In the floor of this passage was a huge camoflaged hinged trap door above a deep pit. The idea was that if enemies  came up it to the castle from seaward would start tramping over the trap door. Once there was a good few of em on it it would suddenly collapse and the invaders would plummet down to become impaled upon sharpened sticks sticking up at the bottom.

Edited September 10, 2018 by bizzard