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Constructed between 1540 and 1545, Pendennis and its sister, St Mawes Castle, form the Cornish end of the chain of coastal castles built by Henry VIII to counter a threat from France and Spain. Thereafter Pendennis was frequently adapted to face new...

With a history stretching back over 16 centuries, Pevensey Castle chronicles more graphically than any other fortress the story of Britain's south coast defences. Beginning in the 4th century as one of the last and strongest of the Roman 'Saxon Shore'...

Perched high above the pretty village of Castleton, the castle offers breathtaking views of the Peak District. Founded soon after 1066 by William Peverel, one of William the Conqueror's most trusted knights, it played an important role in guarding the...

A fine early Norman castle, set in an attractive moors-edge market town, Pickering is a classic and well-preserved example of an early earthwork castle refortified in stone during the 13th and 14th centuries. There is an exhibition in the chapel and...

Portchester Castle's commanding location has made it a major factor in the Solent's defences for hundreds of years. The most impressive and best- preserved of the Roman 'Saxon Shore' forts, Portchester Castle was originally built in the late...

Overlooking Portland Harbour in Dorset stands one of Henry VIII’s finest coastal forts, built in the early 1540s to protect against French and Spanish invasion. Today it provides a great day out for visitors and its audio tour, included in the admission...

Begun between 1100 and 1120 to defend a strategic crossing of the River Tyne against Scottish invaders, Prudhoe Castle has been continuously occupied for over nine centuries. After two sieges during the 1170s - the Scots attackers reportedly declaring...

The great 13th-century circular shell-keep of Restormel still encloses the principal rooms of the castle in remarkably good condition. It stands on an earlier Norman mound surrounded by a deep dry ditch, atop a high spur beside the River Fowey....

Breathtakingly sited on a rocky promontory above the River Swale, the great castle of Richmond is among the oldest Norman stone fortresses in Britain, begun in the decades after the Conquest. The castle's story is told in an interactive display...

'Everywhere peace, everywhere serenity, and a marvellous freedom from the tumult of the world.' Written over eight centuries ago by the monastery's third abbot, St Aelred, these words still describe Rievaulx today. Words are not the only link to...

Strategically placed astride the London Road, guarding an important crossing of the River Medway, this imposing fortress has a complex history of destruction and rebuilding. Its mighty Norman tower-keep of Kentish ragstone was built c. 1127 by William of...

Scarborough Castle defends a prominent headland between two bays, with sheer drops to the sea and only a narrow landward approach. Specially constructed viewing platforms on the battlements offer panoramic views. Long before the castle was built, this...

Coveted by churchmen and noblemen alike it has had a long and chequered history. After two sieges during the Civil War, visitors to the castle today see it in its more recent role as a romantic ruin in the grounds of the ‘new’ Sherborne Castle. Only the...

St Mawes Castle is among the best-preserved of Henry VIII's coastal artillery fortresses, and the most elaborately decorated of them all.One of the chain of forts built between 1539 and 1545 to counter an invasion threat from Catholic France and Spain,...

Stokesay Castle is quite simply the finest and best preserved fortified medieval manor house in England. Set in peaceful countryside near the Welsh border, the castle, timber-framed gatehouse and parish church form an unforgettably...

With its spectacular location on one of Britain's most dramatic coastlines, Tintagel is an awe-inspiring and romantic spot, a place of legends. Joined to the mainland by a narrow neck of land, Tintagel Island faces the full force of the Atlantic.On the...

A classic Norman motte and bailey castle, founded soon after the Conquest to overawe the Saxon town. A later stone shell-keep crowns its steep mound, giving sweeping views across the town rooftops to the River Dart. Keep accessible only via steep steps.

Set in an almost impregnable position on a steep headland between the river and the North Sea, Tynemouth has always been as much a fortress as a religious site. Here stood a 7th-century Anglian monastery, burial place of Oswin, sainted King of...

Set in tranquil grounds adjoining a riverside village, this rare example of an Elizabethan artillery fort was begun in 1559 and redeveloped in 1599-1601, to protect warships moored at Chatham dockyards. Despite a brave attempt, it entirely failed to do...

Originally built during the reign of Henry VIII as part of a chain of coastal artillery defences against Catholic attack from Europe,Walmer Castle has evolved over time into an elegant residence. Walmer Castle became the official residence of the Lord...