Я Warwick Castle

WARWICK CASTLE

Warwick Castle is one of the most famous and daunting castles in the World. Warwick Castle has a chequered history which moves from its construction as a Wooden Motte and Bailey castle by William the Conqueror to a massive stone fortress. Surviving siege warfare to the Age of Medieval Knights and Chivalry and the English Civil War. The name Warwick means 'dwellings by the weir' - a weir was a fence or wattle built across a stream to catch or retain fish. The Warwick wooden Motte and Bailey Castle was defended by the River Avon on the South side and by wide and deep ditches on all other sides. An important feature of Warwick Castle is its access to the River Avon. During the construction of Warwick Castle men, equipment and building materials were easily transported by boats to the site of the castle. Once Warwick Castle had been built fresh supplies, provisions and reinforcements prevented the castle occupants from being starved into submission during siege warfare. William the Conqueror used enforced Anglo-Saxon labour for work on the construction of Warwick Castle. The wooden castle was replaced by a fortified stone castle in 1260. The two main round towers were built at the front of the castle and the Chapel and large hall were built against the south wall. Various additions were made to Warwick Castle as time passed - Guys Tower and Caesar's Tower were added at the end of the fourteenth Century.

THE MAIN EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF WARWICK CASTLE

The History of the site of Warwick Castle dates back to antiquity and the main events and stories of the Roman, Celts, Saxons, Vikings provide a fascinating insight into its location. The bloody history of Warwick Castle is steeped in treachery, murder, mystery and intrigue. Famous historical figures and events feature in the history of Warwick Castle including William the Conqueror, the Wars of the Roses, John Dudley, Lady Jane Grey, the Civil War and the Age of Chivalry with Knights and tournaments. The History of Warwick Castle events also features a number of sieges when the castle was bombarded with missiles from massive siege engines such as the Mangonel and the mighty Trebuchet. The History and Facts, Events and Timeline of Warwick castle are really comprehensive and cover the history of Warwick castle in detail - follow the links at the top of the page and live the history of Warwick Castle.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF WARWICK CASTLE

The history of the construction of Warwick Castle is fascinating.

The construction of the castle was ordered by William the Conqueror and

quickly constructed as a wooden Motte and Bailey structure. The

wooden castle was replaced by a fortified stone castle in 1260. The

two main round towers were built at the front of the castle and the

Chapel and large hall were built against the south wall. Various

additions were made to Warwick Castle as time passed - Guys Tower

and Caesar's Tower were added at the end of the fourteenth Century - these

were built on the style of the French Donjon or Great Tower affording more

security and luxury to Warwick Castle. Both Guys Tower and Caesar's Tower

were constructed to contain several storeys of bright rooms with fireplaces,

garderobes and bedrooms. They were both constructed as part of the

curtain wall defences, although they are self contained.

THE PURPOSE OF THE WARWICK CASTLE

The purpose of the Warwick Castle were as follows:To act as a fortified postTo provide a base where men, provisions and horses could be housedTo overawe and frighten the indigenous populationTo provide a site from which the Normans could govern the surrounding districtTo act as a royal power baseA prisonWarwick Castle  was first built as a fortress with a central Keep, successive

lines of fortification and towers were added over hundreds of years and several different reigns. The castle complex which covers

CAESAR'S TOWER

Interesting information and facts about Caesar's Tower:The tower shape is described as trilobed - having three lobesCaesar's Tower has six storeysIt is 44 meters (133 feet) highThe lowest storey is a dungeonThe second, third and forth storeys were constructed as family quartersThe fifth storey was an ammunition store

The sixth storey was designed as a guardroom with easy access to two tiers of battlements

GUYS TOWER

Interesting information and facts about Guys Tower:Guys Tower was constructed on the same lines as Caesars TowerIt is 39 meters highFamily quartersAmmunition store with a guardroom with easy access to the battlements

INTERESTING FACTS AND INFORMATION ABOUT WARWICK CASTLE

The location of Warwick Castle - Warwick town centre

The building of the wooden Warwick Castle started in 1068

The first Warwick Castle was a wooden Motte and Bailey design

The Architecture / Style - Norman Romanesque and later Medieval

The Castle is built next to the South side of the River Avon

Warwick Castle has over 60 acres of ground

A English Fortified town, called a Burh was built in Warwick

The dungeon at Warwick Castle measures 19ft by 13ft

Warwick Castle also has oubliette, a pit prison

The Earls and owners of Warwick Castle passed through several great

dynasties. The medieval earldom was inheritable through both

the male and the female line of descent, and thus was held by

members of several families - the Beaumonts and Beauchamps, the

Nevilles, the Dudleys, the Richs and the Grevilles.

Thank you for your attention!