Kenilworth Castle is a
castleA castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress, in that it describes a residence of a monarch or...
located in
KenilworthKenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London.-History:...
,
WarwickshireWarwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton in the far north of the county. The shape of the administrative area Warwickshire differs considerably from that of the historic county...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Historically the Castle was contained within the Forest of Arden.
The medieval castle is notable for its extensive water defences, and the great siege by the future
Edward IEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English Barons. In 1259 he briefly sided with a baronial...
in 1266, plus the ruins of the ornate Great Hall built by John of Gaunt. Its later history includes the visit of
Elizabeth IElizabeth I was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
(it still boasts
TudorThe House of Tudor was a prominent European royal house that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch Henry Tudor, descended paternally from the rulers of the Welsh principality of Deheubarth, and maternally from a legitimised branch of the English royal...
buildings and gardens) and the dramatic
slightingA slighting is the deliberate destruction of a fortification without opposition from its builders or last users.Many European castles or forts were slighted in the Middle Ages by victorious besieging armies. Some were also destroyed by the owners themselves when they were abandoned to prevent...
by
CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.He was one of the commanders of the New Model Army which defeated the royalists in...
's troops, leaving an open side to the fine
NormanThe term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used for English Romanesque architecture...
keepA keep is a strong central tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress. Often, the keep is the most defended area of a castle, and as such may form the main habitation area, or contain important stores such as the armoury, food, and the main water well, which would ensure survival during a...
.
A fortification has existed on the site from
SaxonAnglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066...
times, but the current
ruinRuins is a term used to describe the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete but which have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
is of
NormanThe Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
origin; a great square stone tower built by
Geoffrey de ClintonGeoffrey de Clinton was an Anglo-Norman noble, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust".. He married LescelinaClinton's family origins are a little obscure...
, Treasurer and Chief Justice of England to
Henry IHenry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, in about 1125.
Kenilworth Castle is a
castleA castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress, in that it describes a residence of a monarch or...
located in
KenilworthKenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London.-History:...
,
WarwickshireWarwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton in the far north of the county. The shape of the administrative area Warwickshire differs considerably from that of the historic county...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Historically the Castle was contained within the Forest of Arden.
The medieval castle is notable for its extensive water defences, and the great siege by the future
Edward IEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English Barons. In 1259 he briefly sided with a baronial...
in 1266, plus the ruins of the ornate Great Hall built by John of Gaunt. Its later history includes the visit of
Elizabeth IElizabeth I was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
(it still boasts
TudorThe House of Tudor was a prominent European royal house that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch Henry Tudor, descended paternally from the rulers of the Welsh principality of Deheubarth, and maternally from a legitimised branch of the English royal...
buildings and gardens) and the dramatic
slightingA slighting is the deliberate destruction of a fortification without opposition from its builders or last users.Many European castles or forts were slighted in the Middle Ages by victorious besieging armies. Some were also destroyed by the owners themselves when they were abandoned to prevent...
by
CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.He was one of the commanders of the New Model Army which defeated the royalists in...
's troops, leaving an open side to the fine
NormanThe term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used for English Romanesque architecture...
keepA keep is a strong central tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress. Often, the keep is the most defended area of a castle, and as such may form the main habitation area, or contain important stores such as the armoury, food, and the main water well, which would ensure survival during a...
.
History
A fortification has existed on the site from
SaxonAnglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066...
times, but the current
ruinRuins is a term used to describe the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete but which have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
is of
NormanThe Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
origin; a great square stone tower built by
Geoffrey de ClintonGeoffrey de Clinton was an Anglo-Norman noble, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust".. He married LescelinaClinton's family origins are a little obscure...
, Treasurer and Chief Justice of England to
Henry IHenry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, in about 1125.
Henry IIHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
took control of the castle during the
Revolt of 1173-1174The Revolt of 1173–1174 was a rebellion against Henry II of England by three of his sons, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and rebel supporters...
, giving the Clintons another castle in
BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury and the largest town in ceremonial Buckinghamshire is Milton Keynes....
by way of compensation.
Work then began to improve the defensive qualities of the castle, continuing during the reign of
Henry IIIHenry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
and transforming the castle into one of the strongest in the
MidlandsThe English Midlands, or the Midlands is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. The strategic advantages of water defences had long been known, and at Kenilworth a great man made lake was created to defend three sides of the castle. Covering over 100 acres (0.4 km²) it was an expensive endeavour, but the value in keeping
siege engineA siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some have been operated close to the fortifications, while others have been used to attack from a distance. From antiquity, siege engines were constructed largely of wood and...
s at a distance and as a barrier to assault or mining was immense.
However, after all the work to improve the castle, Henry III granted it in 1244 to
Simon de MontfortSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester , was a French-English nobleman, notable as the principal leader of the baronial opposition to King Henry III of England. After the rebellion of 1263 and 1264, de Montfort became de facto ruler of England and called the first directly elected parliament in...
, Earl of Leicester. Simon de Montfort became a leader in the
Second Barons' WarThe Second Barons' War was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward .-Causes:...
(1263-1267) against Henry III, using Kenilworth as the centre of his operations.
Prince EdwardEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English Barons. In 1259 he briefly sided with a baronial...
, Henry's heir, was once briefly imprisoned at Kenilworth before escaping. De Montfort was killed in battle near
EveshamEvesham is a rural market town in Worcestershire, England, in the Local Authority District of Wychavon. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon, in an area known as the Vale of Evesham, that was once a major English centre of market gardening...
on August 13 1265 facing Edward. In 1266, the rebels under the leadership of
Henry de HastingsHenry de Hastings was created Baron in 1264 by Simon de Montfort. He led the Londoners at the Battle of Lewes, where he was taken prisoner, and fought at the Battle of Evesham...
, used the castle as a refuge when Lord Edward surrounded Kenilworth. The
Siege of Kenilworth CastleThe Siege of Kenilworth was a six month siege on the Kenilworth Castle and a battle of the Second Barons' War. The siege was a part of an English civil war fought from 1264 to 1267 by the forces of Simon de Montfort against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward .The siege was one of few castle...
in 1266 is the longest in English history. The extensive water defences provided their intended protection, despite Edward targeting the weaker north wall, defended by only a double
moatA moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, employing huge
siege towerA siege tower is a specialized siege engine, constructed to protect assailants and ladders while approaching the defensive walls of a fortification. The tower was often rectangular with four wheels and a height roughly equal to that of the wall or sometimes higher to allow archers to stand on top...
s and even attempting a night attack by barge. The siege was ended on easy terms for the defenders with the
Dictum of KenilworthThe Dictum of Kenilworth, issued 31 October 1266, was a pronouncement designed to reconcile the rebels of the Barons' War with the royal government of England. After the baronial victory at the Battle of Lewes in 1264, Simon de Montfort took control of royal government, but at the Battle of Evesham...
. The experience gained in water defences at Kenilworth was put to good effect at later castles built in Wales, notably
CaerphillyCaerphilly Castle is a Norman castle that dominates the centre of the town of Caerphilly in south Wales.Caerphilly Castle was built to stop Llywelyn's southward ambitions.- Construction :...
.
Henry III bestowed the castle upon his youngest son Edmund Crouchback. The castle was inherited by Edmund's grandson
Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of LancasterHenry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster , also Earl of Derby and Leicester, was a member of the English nobility in the 14th century, and a prominent English diplomat, politician, and soldier...
, and then passed to the Duke's son-in-law John of Gaunt.
From 1364, John of Gaunt began the castle's conversion from a pure fortress into something more liveable, work that continued with his grandson,
Henry VHenry V was King of England from 1413 until his death. From an unassuming start his military successes in the Hundred Years' War, culminating with his famous victory at the Battle of Agincourt, saw him come close to uniting the realms of England and France under his rule.-Early life:Henry was born...
. The castle remained in royal hands until it was given to John Dudley in 1553. Following his execution
Elizabeth IElizabeth I was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
gave it to her favourite Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester in 1563.
Thomas UnderhillThomas Underhill served as Keeper of the Wardrobe of Kenilworth Castle and had charge of its contents after the castle was given by Queen Elizabeth I to her favourite Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in 1563....
was named Keeper of the Wardrobe at this time. Dudley further transformed the castle by making the north entrance the main entrance to suit the tastes of Elizabeth, adding the Leicester building, a large apartment and a residential block overlooking the lake.
Elizabeth visited Dudley at Kenilworth Castle several times in 1566, 1572, and 1575. The last visit is especially remembered, when Elizabeth brought an entourage of several hundred. No expense was spared for the July visit that lasted 19 days and is reputed to have cost Dudley £1000 per day, an amount that almost bankrupted him. Dudley entertained the Queen with pageants,
bear baitingBear-baiting is a blood sport involving the baiting of bears.-Bear-baiting in England:Bear-baiting was popular in England until the nineteenth century. From the sixteenth century, many herds of bears were maintained for baiting...
and lavish banquets that surpassed anything ever before seen in England.
The festivities are said to have been the inspiration for Shakespeare's
A Midsummer Night's Dream.
William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
was just 11 years old at the time and from nearby Stratford-upon-Avon. He could well have been among the crowd of locals that would have gathered to witness the occasion with its expensive and lavish arrangements.
Sir
Walter ScottSir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet, popular throughout Europe during his time....
wrote
an 1821 novelKenilworth. A Romance is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published on 8 January 1821.-Plot introduction:Set apparently in 1575, Kenilworth centers on the secret marriage of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, and Amy Robsart, daughter of Sir Hugh Robsart...
describing the royal visit, and Sir
Arthur SullivanSir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer, of Irish and Italian descent, best known for his operatic collaborations with librettist W. S. Gilbert, including such continually-popular works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado...
wrote
a choral work in 1864Kenilworth, A Masque of the Days of Queen Elizabeth , is a cantata with music by Arthur Sullivan and words by Henry Fothergill Chorley that premiered at the Birmingham Festival on 8 September 1864.In 1575, Queen Elizabeth visited Robert Dudley at Kenilworth Castle, where he presented her with...
about it. Elizabeth is said, according to local legend, to have tasted the first potato brought into the country at Kenilworth Castle. Unfortunately, she ate it raw, disliked it and threw it out the window where it grew in an area now known as Little Virginia.
The castle returned to the Crown on Dudley's death. In the
English Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The first and second civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war saw fighting between supporters of...
, the castle was stormed and looted by Parliamentarian troops. In common with many English castles, Kenilworth was
slightedA slighting is the deliberate destruction of a fortification without opposition from its builders or last users.Many European castles or forts were slighted in the Middle Ages by victorious besieging armies. Some were also destroyed by the owners themselves when they were abandoned to prevent...
(rendered indefensible) after the Civil War. One wall of the keep was blown up, and battlements and the great water defences were destroyed, in 1656.
In 1660
Charles IICharles II was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father King Charles I was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War. The English Parliament did not proclaim Charles II king at this time. Instead they passed a statute making such a...
gave the castle to
Sir Edward HydeEdward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two British monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
, whom he created Baron Hyde of Hindon and Earl of Clarendon. The castle remained the property of the Clarendons until 1937 before passing into the possession of
John Davenport Siddeley, 1st Baron KenilworthJohn Davenport Siddeley, Baron Kenilworth , was a captain of the automobile industry in the United Kingdom.-Career:...
. The family presented the castle to Kenilworth in 1958 and
English HeritageEnglish Heritage . is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government with a broad remit of managing the historic built environment of England. It is currently sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
has looked after it since 1984.
In 2005 English Heritage announced that after archaeological investigations revealed more details of the original garden, it would be restoring the garden more closely to its Elizabethan form. A fountain and aviary were reconstructed and the project was completed in May 2009 In December 2008 plans were put forward to re-fill the original
mereMere may refer to:* Mere , a lake that is broad in relation to its depth* Mere , a Māori war club* Mere by Norweigan rock band deLillos* Ain-Ervin Mere , Estonian war criminal...
around the castle. As well as re-creating the look of the castle it is hoped that the mere will be part of the ongoing
floodA flood is an overflow or accumulation of an expanse of water that submerges land. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide....
alleviation plan for the area and the lake could be used for boating and other waterside recreations.
Notable constables
The
constableA constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.- Etymology :...
s of Kenilworth Castle include:
- Henry de Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
Henry de Hastings was created Baron in 1264 by Simon de Montfort. He led the Londoners at the Battle of Lewes, where he was taken prisoner, and fought at the Battle of Evesham...
(1265-1266)
- Philip Marmion (appointed 1267)
- Hugh de Quilly (c. 1310-1320)
- John Deyncourt (c. 1382)
- Ralph Boteler, 1st Baron Sudeley
Ralph Boteler, 1st Baron Sudeley and 6th Baron Sudeley was Captain of Calais and Treasurer of England .He was the youngest surviving son of Thomas Boteler of Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire and Alice , daughter of Sir John Beauchamp of Powick, Worcestershire.Sudeley married twice...
(appointed 1433)
- Matthew Baker (died 1513), a lifelong Liegeman to Henry VII, and companion during his exile in Brittany & France, appointed 1485.
- Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset KG KB , was an English peer, courtier, soldier and landowner, the grandfather of Lady Jane Grey, briefly Queen of England.-Early life:...
(1529-1530)
- John Huband
The Baronetcy of Huband of Ipsley was created for John Huband of Ipsley Court, then Warwickshire, on 2 February 1661.The Hubands held Ipsley from the time of the Norman Conquest...
(Constable of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester)
- Robert Dudley, styled Earl of Warwick
Robert Dudley was an English engineer, sailor and cartographer, the illegitimate son of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. In 1594, he led an expedition to the West Indies, of which he wrote an account. In 1605 he tried unsuccessfully to establish his legitimacy in court...
(1611-1649)
External links