Castles and similar fortifications have long been a feature of the British landscape and for centuries were an essential part of the structure of society. Iron Age man built vast fortifications of earthworks and ditches to keep out both enemy tribes and wild animals, and within these ramparts whole communities lived in relative safety. The buildings of such castles or hill forts were constructed of wood, wattle-and-daub, and had thatched or turf roofs and so, with the passage of time (Maiden Castle in Dorset, the best preserved example of such a castle, dates from around 3000 BC) only the ramparts and ditches remain to be seen.

Maiden Castle eventually fell to the Romans during their invasion of 43AD, and the Roman conquerors spread steadily northwards. They were eventually halted by a combination of warlike Picts and Scots and inclement weather - coming from the warm Mediterranean region, they did not take kindly to the weather of the north and viewed a posting to the northernmost outposts of the Roman Empire as a punishment. To mark the boundary of their territory, as well as keeping the Picts and Scots out, a wall was constructed right acros the country, from sea to sea, on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian and named in his honour. Hadrian's Wall was constructed between 122 and 128 AD and stretches from Wallsend-on-Tyne in the east to Bowness, on the Solway Firth, in the west. It covers a distance of 73 miles / 117 km and is in places 15 feet high, with a deep ditch and earthworks on either side, thus increasing its overall height, and to add to its defensive capacity the Romans constructed major forts at intervals and milecastles every mile or so (hence their name.)

Most people's idea of a castle, however, is based on the later constructions to be found in Britain which began to appear soon after the Norman Conquest of 1066 as William I (William the Conqueror) consolidated and secured his new territory. The first Norman castles were constructed of earthworks and timbers, with a central tower or "keep" on a raised hill or "motte" surrounded by an enclosed "bailey," the whole within an outer wall or walls.The bailey held all the domestic buildings for the complete household with the lord's family and their immediate entourage housed in the keep, and in times of siege outlying farmers and villagers would also seek refuge. These wooden structures began to be replaced by stone buildings in the 12th century and the great age of castle building began. Cliffords Tower, in York (right) is an excellent example of a stone keep dating from 1245 built on an earlier motte and replacing the original wooden structure built in 1069. It has had a very colourful history, having been destroyed by fire (twice!) and gales, damaged by explosions, sixteenth-century vandalism and fire (again) and eventually used as a prison until the beginning of the 20th century when restoration finally began.

The major Norman castles - for example Windsor Castle (originally wooden and built in 1070 and replaced by the stone castle we see today, dating from 1170 and added to by Henry III, Edward III, Edward IV, Henry VII, Charles II and finally King George IV) and the Tower of London (stone-built right from the start in 1080 and added to by successive monarchs right up to the 19th century) are much more extensive and had a variety of roles besides their original defensive purpose : the Tower of London has been the home of kings and queens as well as a much feared prison (the last prisoner to be held there was Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy and the last execution at the Tower was in 1941.)

...... To be continued ......

This excellent website - Castles of Britain - is a "must" for anyone interested in the subject.