I dislike this narrator. His vids are sometimes very bizarre. There is one in which he says my city York likes Daewoo cars. 🤯 Erm, you could live here a decade and not see one. The sh*tty brand hasn’t even been in sale in the UK for over a decade either.
As you were shocked at 1500 castles in England I guess it will blow your mind when you find out that there are over 4000 castles in the whole of the United Kingdom.
In one of my classes I remember it being mentioned that at the height of the middle ages there was no place in England that was more than a day's walk to a fortified town, manor house, or castle. In case of invasion, all citizens (including peasants) could always get to a safe position by nightfall.
Windsor Castle is not a summer residence. The late queen spent most of her weekends there as it is quite close to London. She also lived there full time during Covid. The large home park at Windsor contains a number of other Royal properties and other members of the family live close by including the Prince and Princess of Wales. Windsor is where they breed the famous Windsor grey horses that are used to pull the royal carriages.
If any of the four main royal residents were a summer residents it would be Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands. Then you could say her winter residence where she spends Christmas and New Year would be Sandringham in Norfolk.
If you go to Dover Castle you must take a tour of all of the tunnels under it, They were mainly built during the Napoleonic wars but were extended during world war 2. It was from here that the evacuation from Dunkirk was controlled.
Highclere Castle is the home of the Earls of Carnarvon one of whom, the fifth earl, in the 1920's financed the search and finding of King Tutankhamen's Tomb!
Warwick Castle is an absolute stunner. Visited it twice as a nipper and loved every minute. They even do a show with the Warwick Bowman, who tells you all about English archery and the times we gave the French a damned good thrashing.
I took a visiting US friend there. She was almost dumbstruck, not easy for the USA :o) We went down into the dungeon and saw the hell-hole 'oubliette', the dungeon-in-a-dungeon, the entrance being a metal grate in the floor where prisoners were dropped in and 'oubliette'd - forgotten. She said her highlights, which couldn't be culturally further apart, were York Minster and the Blackpool Illuminations.
Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England but according to this very southern view only one is worth a visit -Alnwick, which is pronounced "annick" . So what about Bamburgh, Warkworth, Norham, Dunstanburgh to name a few of my favourites? Come on, there is a lot of history north of Warwick!!
For sure. Lucky enough to live in the NE on the coast and during the summer on days off I'll do the castle route and see most of those. Bamburgh is especially stunning, seeing it sat proudly on the mound for miles.
The commentator doesn't say other castles are not worth visiting. He is just giving HIS view of the top ten. If you think all top 10 castles are in Northumberland, then goody for you, that's your choice.
The Normans introduced the Motte and Bailey Castle design after 1066. The motte being the central tower and the Bailey the lower yard. Arundel and Windsor are good examples of this.
My mother served as an officer in the ATS in the tunnels under Dover Castle during WWll. Not only was it the setting for the planning of operation Dynamo, to rescue our troops from Dunkirk, and for D-Day, but it was a vital Signals station and communications hub. There was also an underground hospital.
I'm surprised Hever Castle wasn't on the list. Also in Kent and one of the nicer looking ones, well kept, beautiful grounds and it even has a double moat.
14:09 a good view of the remains of the Roman lighthouse - the "Pharos" Dover Castle, built on the order of King Henry II, is nick-named "The Key to England" Galleries cut into the chalk cliffs under the castle, excavated during the Napoleonic wars, were extended and used by UK defence forces in both World Wars.
The Geordies will be having a fit over his pronunciation of Alnwick, it is pronounced Anick as a former boss of mine corrected me after I had visited it. It appears the video maker had trouble getting away from the south of England apart from hi stake on Harry Potter. He missed Bamburgh castle completely along with the rest of the castles of Northumberland which were built and used on a more regular basis to stop the Scots. He appears to have never have heard of Conisbrough castle with it's unique keep . The castle was used as the castle in Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe. I would suggest the video maker get out and about a little more as England is much more than just the south of the country.
I agree with the last sentence! The old Kingdom of Northumbria has loads of history. In addition to Alnwick we have Dunstanburgh Castle near Craster ( another one's pronunciation to catch out others" Dunstan borough Castle") Warkworth castle is a few miles further south. Chillingham Castle with it's white cattle is worth a visit Raby Castle in County Durham. Richmond Castle North Yorkshire. Another favourite is a small Castle in a big city , Newcastle Castle in Newcastle upon Tyne! Home of the Geordies. Hadrian's wall has a castle every mile, called -yes milecastles again a great place to see. Its not a Castle but Whitby Abbey is worth researching - Whitby is where Dracula crept ashore . Cathedrals are great too - Durham's is magnificent . Come and visit and see for yourselves.
I live in Norfolk and we have 20 castles also there is over 3000 stately homes and manor houses in England. Sandringham is 5 minutes from where I live. We have a lot of old buildings arch's and walls I live in the 2nd largest village in Europe. In Saxon times with written records showing it was founded in AD 970
Don't be put off by the crowds, the Tower of London is well worth a visit. Get on a guided tour conducted by a 'Beefeater'...superb. Scottish and Welsh castles are impressive as well.
ALNWICK is. pronounced (phonetic spelling here) ANN-IK. Been there hundreds of times as I am (as said) a Geordie. BTW, unlike the US, tea rooms etc. are not there to make a profit in most cases - a family can spend hours looking around a castle and NEED access to refreshments. Many visitors ASK if memorabilia or gifts are available to remember their visit. Was Bamburgh Castle mentioned? No? Hmm.
Right. I grew up in Rothbury. That was painful lol. And your right, no mention of bamburgh, how do you talk about castles in England and not include it?
John, yes Dover would be a good choice. Under it and within the chalk cliffs are miles of tunnels started in the time of the defence agaist an attack by Naloleon but the even used as a lookout in the Second World War. There are photos of Churchill standing looking out over the English Channel survdying the war. They remained Secret until about 20 years zgo but are now a wonderful place to visit.
If you're interested in learning about the history of some of the castles featured here such as Leeds, Arundel, Alnwick and Dover I'd strongly recommend a series called Secrets of Great British Castles. Each episode delves into the history of a specific castle from when it was built to the modern day. I found it really fascinating.
Scotland and Wales are also well-endowed with castles. It's what we do...😉 Warwick Castle is a great place to visit and close to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare which also has fantastic places to visit.
The OLDEST Castle in England is Pevensey Castle in East Sussex built around 290 AD and known to the Romans as Anderitum, the fort appears to have been the base for a fleet called the Classis Anderidaensis. It was then reoccupied by the Normans in 1066
The romans didn’t build castles, they built forts. The castle ar Pevensey was built by the Normans within the Roman fort structure. There’s a difference between a fort and a castle. Also, Pevensey isn’t the only Roman fort of that period to still exist, there are several ranging from Hants to Norfolk.
When I was a kid, ( I am from London), we had a school visit to the tower of London, on that day Yuri Gagarin (the first man in space?) was there, I was about two feet from him, he was a little guy with a massive Hat ..the press was going mad and there was flashing cameras everywhere ..we knew he was famous, but didn't really know who he was at the time..special eh? nice to know you have seen special people in history
Arundel near me, had an ancestor who lived there. Bodiam near too. Love Leeds and the grounds. You can go in off peak times to these places like after holiday times. Living on the coast in East Sussex just up from Kent, we are 27 miles away from France. I have Pevensey Castle near me first built in Roman times, the Roman walls are still there and it is has been used through history including by William the Conqueror in 1066
I live 5 minutes from Arundel castle it has its own lake ( Swanborne lake) The inside really is beautiful. And they have medieval events and tournaments there regularly. And as you can see even the town of Arundel has the castle walls running through much of it.
Most of these Castles were not built all in one go. They evolved over the centuries. Different methods and styles of building. More up to date conveniences as the times and technologies developed. They were originally built as fortresses, not as a home for a single family. Even those still inhabited are so large and cover such a large area, that a family can use a "relatively" small number of rooms without being encroached upon by visitors.
I live in Colchester, which has aptly named Colchester Castle which is an old Norman Keep built by Gundalf of Rochester. Dating from the second half of the eleventh century. The keep of the castle is mostly intact and is the largest example of its kind anywhere in Europe, due to its being built on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius. Definitely check out Colchester if you love history.
the queen did stay there, but her favourite place was balmoral in scotland, where she sadly passed, buckingham palace is really only used at an office these days, not much time spent there,
@@maureenalder8905 i was thinking about that, im not 100% sure, i wont disagree with you, but over the last 6 months, looking at tourist vlogs, the royal standard i have only seen once, , as well as the guards at the front, there has only been 2, there are 4 when in king in at the palace, im not saying your in away, just an observation
Nottingham Castle is a beautiful place to visit. The castle was originally built in 1068, the original gatehouse and entrance are still there, but the castle was destroyed in 1651. It has recently undergone a multi-million pound makeover and has reopened to the public (2023). It has magnificent views over the valleys. The art gallery is worth a visit, old masters and modern art. Harold Knight, Laura Knight, Auguste Rodin, Jacob Epstein etc. And not to mention a separate exhibition to Robin Hood. There are tours of the caves too. Nottingham is known as the City of Caves, which is due to being built on sandstone.
Hi, just found your channel, it’s great. There are some beautiful castles and I was sorry not to see Hever Castle. It’s really worth seeing, more Tudor than ancient ruin. Hope you check it out. Hope you cover stately houses as many are more imposing than castles. Happy visiting 😃
I am an Australian but my family tree on my paternal grandfather's mother's side has been traced back to the 1660's in England and we found a family castle, which has been in the family since 1085! (Croft Castle) I couldn't believe it - like something out of a movie. I will definitely drop in for tea and scones I ever make it over there!
I went to high school roughly half a mile from Warwick Castle, no matter how often I see it, it always amazes me. I also had the opportunity to do the “dungeons after dark” tour a few years back which was fantastic. Really gets the imagination going as to just how horrific it must have been back in the day. Some of the torture equipment used was insane!
I can highly recommend Warwick Castle having lived just down the road from it when I lived in Warwick. St. Mary’s church is a good visit as well as it’s closely tied with the castle.
If you are interested, I would recommend a series of documentary videos called "Crown and Country". There are 30+ in the series. They were made by HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Edingburgh in the nineties, early two thousands. He wrote, narrated, and produced them through his own production company, Ardent. Most of them, are about half an hour long. They cover many of the towns, cities, castles, palaces, etc. that have royal connections over the centuries. They provide many answers to some of the questions you pose at various times through this reaction video... and they come straight from the "horses mouth," so to speak. As you will see from the documentaries credits, he is shown as Edward Windsor, or later as Edward Wessex, after he married and acquired the title of Earl of Wessex. Interestingly, he never used the titles "His Royal Highness," or "Prince" when he made these documentaries.
If you spent some time in Kent then you have access to Rochester Castle, Leeds Castle, Hever Castle, Upnor Castle and Dover Castle. All except Upnor were mentioned in this video. If we take Rochester Castle as a starting point then Upnor Castle is just under 4 miles away. Leeds Castle is 13 miles away, Hever Castle is 34 miles away and Dover Castle is 47 miles away.
I'm really enjoying your reaction videos. As an English woman now living in Spain it's great seeing my beautiful home country through your eyes. Also you have such a relaxing voice 😊
With regard to Windsor Castle, I see a lot of remarks made by Americans about the wealth of the U.K. Royal Family and how it is wrong for only one family to have so much wealth. But Americans do not realise that a lot of the wealth they see is really part of the Crown Estates which, technically, in a weird way, is owned by the U.K State. It is held in trust for the U.K. nation and the Monarch is not allowed to sell any part of it but is obligated to maintain it as a custodian. There are a lot of similarities between UK Royal residences and US Presidential residences. US Head of State = US President UK Head of State = UK Monarch (King or Queen) US Head of State Administrative Office AND Residence = White House (owned by the State) UK Head of State Administrative Office AND Residence = Buckingham Palace (Mon-Thur) (owned by the State) UK Head of State Weekend Residence = Windsor Castle (Fri-Sun) (owned by the State) US Head of State Vacation Residence = Martha’s Vineyard UK Head of State Winter Vacation Residence = Sandringham House (privately owned by the Monarch) UK Head of State Summer Vacation Residence = Balmoral Castle (privately owned by the Monarch)
Warwick castle is also probably one of the best, but it all depends which neck of the woods you’ll be visiting. I have a castle in my home town dating back from the 11th century. Though not as well preserved as Warwick and Dover.
Warwick castle has been reduced to a disneyesque castle they have made a mockery of its history. No wonder the yanks like it.. it’s lost it’s integrity. 🙁
Alnwick castle was used while filming some scenes from the 1st two Harry potter films. The outer bailey for instance is where the scene of Harry and Co learning to fly brooms with Madam Hooch (where Neville gets thrown off his broom) and the Quidditch scene were also shot there too.
At Dover, there were actually two Pharos (lighthouses), one on the East Cliff, the remains of which can be seen at Dover Castle and the other on the Western Heights, though sadly not much remains but the site is commemorated with a plaque. You can see a model of the harbour at Dover, and how it looked over a thousand years ago, at the Roman Painted House in the town.
I visited Windsor last year. It was amazing. My favourite part was the chappel. What i loved though was how accessable it was for the disabled. My Mam is disabled, and she could get everywhere. Oh and when you go to the cafe, pop to the loo, it's like something from Harry potter 😆. What i mean by that, is all the stalls are wooden arches, there are no taps or flushes. You just wave you hand over everything, i was like a little kid 😆. It's used as a summer home by the monarch, because Buckingham palace is seen as an official residence. But a lot of lesser royals have homes and apartments there. The late queen loved it. Also the publice don't get to see any private apartments. So in reality, they aren't traipsing through anyone's home. Besides, places like Buckingham and Windsor, don't belong to the monarch, The castle isn't a private owned place, it belongs to the crown estate, so it's basically ours, along with most of the artifacts in it.
Nottingham Castle is a beautiful place to visit. The castle was originally built in 1068, the original gatehouse and entrance are still there, but the castle was destroyed in 1651. It has recently undergone a multi-million pound makeover and has reopened to the public (2023). It has magnificent views over the valleys. The art gallery is worth a visit, old masters and modern art. Harold Knight, Laura Knight, Auguste Rodin, Jacob Epstein etc. And not to mention a separate exhibition to Robin Hood. There are tours of the caves too. Nottingham is known as the City of Caves, which is due to being built on sandstone. Love your channel, and voice. 😊
Hello, I've just discovered your channel and I'm really enjoying your reactions. I once went to Arundel Castle for a regional conference. The Castle was closed to the public that day so it was just us and we got a lovely private tour too. At the end of the day I was waiting for my colleague in the Great Hall and I ended up in there on my own. It was an amazing moment. Windsor and The Tower of London are touristy but they are both worth the visit. Windsor is more than just a summer residence. The late Queen lived there during WWII and Covid and she spent her weekends there. She is now buried in the chapel. There was a big fire at the castle in 1992 and it was after that that it opened to the public to pay for rebuild. My town had a castle which is long gone but it was built on top of a Neolithic mound which has been carbon dated to 2,400BC. It was part of the Castles William the Conqueror had built when he invaded. There are lots of videos of the Yeoman Warder Tours at The Tower of London. You might enjoy them.
I live in Lincolnshire. So as mentioned nearby is Nottingham castle but also we have Belvoir castle which holds jousting tournaments as well as many other things and we have Lincoln castle up on the hill near the cathedral and home to one of four original copies of the magna carta left in existence
This just shows how young America is. When we find something from the 1800's we're amazed. Also at Windsor, I'm sure they don't show the private living quarters of the Royals. They also have a home in Scotland.
We really enjoy visiting castles, the best ruined ones we've visited are Goodrich Castle and Old Wardour Castle, which was in the movie Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. Probably the best one I've seen that's not ruined and still loves in is Berkeley Castle. Great reaction, wishing you well
You should definitely come up north to Alnwick Castle, it has beautiful gardens to visit too with tree bridges and a huge scale treehouse that has just been revamped/resculptured and sits in the county of Northumberland where we have the most castles in a single county in England totalling 81! (Some in ruin)
The Tower of London is the oldest castle. During the colder months a castle is not warm enough to live in. Buckingham palace will have central heating. There are even more castles in Wales and Scotland, Ireland has many too. Dover to Calais is the shortest route across the channel. Leeds Castle confuses some people (it isn't in Leeds). When polls have been held "Warwick Castle" wins.
Remember that the 1500 referred to England only, there's also Scotland and Wales to add to them. Also, the narrator was quite wrong about Windsor being the summer home for the RF.
Corfe Castle for being defended by only 5 people when it was finally attacked and destroyed. With just 2 defending casualties has to go top of my castle list just for the entire insanity of the situation.
I would love to take you around and about in the uk, your enthusiasm would be fun to be around and open my eyes what I’m so use to seeing. My hubby has a great interest in history so fairly well informed. If you ever make it to the UK I hope you a ball.
The word MOT originally meant a mound or a high area that a defensive position was built upon but as kings made their subjects dig defensive trenches around their holding the word MOT changed from a mound to a defensive trench.
There are 3 within 30 minutes of my house. The royal family don’t really live in Buck Pal much. It’s more like their office. They spend a lot of time at Sandringham in the winter. I’ve been to some of these. Bodiam is stunningly beautiful. It’s what I think we would all draw if a child drawing a castle, with round towers, battlements, moat and a very pleasing symmetry. I haven’t been to Dover yet. That’s definitely on the list!
Buckingham Palace is mainly Offices..Windsor is the usual abode of the Royals, not just Summer..Where we live we're near to Sandringham which IS the Summer residence of the Family, but you can look round when they're not at home..Just can't see the bedrooms....Balmoral is the other Private home.
If you include the places where archaeologists say a castle was, then we have about 4,000 castles in England, Wales has around 500 and Scotland around 800.
It is said that Northumberland has more castles than the rest of England. Bamborough Castle is probably the best and likely saw more fighting than any castle south of the Tyne.
If you visit Windsor in the summer try to go to an evening meet at the racecourse, on Mondays thru the summer. You can catch a boat from the Riverside to it. Pick a nice night mind.
Another great video Sir. I am lucky that I live near Ludlow, Shropshire, close to the Welsh border. And as a result there are at least 10 castles within a 45 minute drive from my home. Some are still in a reasonable shape, and some are little more than a few rows of stone walls. But it's wonderful to be surrounded by many centuries of History. And if you ever do get the chance to visit our fair shores, make sure you visit Dover Castle. and the tunnels beneath. There are different layers that were dug out at different times in History. One level being used in WW2 as a hospital for pilots who had to bail out over The Channel after dogfights defending us from German bombers. Some of the rooms have small windows carved into the chalk overlooking the Channel, yet you don't notice them looking at the White Cliffs. There is also a lower level that we couldn't visit due to the Official Secrets Act. But that was many years ago and is probably open by now.
Rochester has had a fort/Castle on the banks of the River Medway since the Roman Invasion of Britannia, the Romans put the first bridge across the river and the one that stands today is only meters away from the original footings. The gatehouse of the castle that looks onto the river was where the original bridge started. Arundel Castle is still the home and seat of the Duke of Norfolk. And it does indeed have a good elevation which is seen for miles. We do have some magnificent castles, sadly a lot of them ruins. If I was to pick my two favs it would be Lewes Castle and Conisborough Castle
I'm a Kent girl and have been to Rochester, Leeds, Hever and Dover Castle many times. Upnor Castle is very near Rochester Castle on the opposite side of the river Medway. That's a nice one too 😊
@@ThegirlfromU.N.C.L.E I lived in Rochester for a few years before a job location change. Loved the time there, used to picnic on a small bit of ground near Bakers Walk. Very nice in the summer
I actually live only a couple of miles from Rochester, and the castle is one of my favourite places. My daughter's friend from Iowa came to stay with us for a while, and a couple of days after arriving, we went to Rochester and to the castle. As we got out the taxi, and he held the door for my daughter, I realised that he hadn't seen the castle, and called to him. As Rochester is one of the oldest, and is the tallest Keep Castle in England, when I pointed it out to him, he had the typical😮 face! Lol Then I informed him that that castle had been sitting there, for around 300 years, before his country was even officially discovered! When he finally managed to pick his jaw up off the floor, my daughter took him to the castle and the surrounding area. And he loved it. Although not on this list, we also have another younger castle around the corner and just down a bit on the other side of the river Medway, called Upnor Castle, built to help defend the Royal Dockyard of Chatham from invaders coming up the river. Unfortunately the chain stretched across the river didnt help, and the Dutch still managed to sail up to the river to Chatham Dockyard and tow our flagship away with them back to the Netherlands. Lol Of those top 10 shown here, I've been to 8 of them! The only two I've not been to Yet, were Alnwick (pronounced Anne-ick), and Windsor Castles. The others are beautiful.
Although not mentioned here, I am rather fond of Lumley Castle in County Durham. It's only about 15 minutes from where I live and is now a hotel. About once a year it hosts "Dungeons and Dragon's in a castle" where people can pay to stay in the castle for the weekend and play D+D. It is also a popular wedding venue.
You though there might be 20 castles in the whole of England? I live in the North of England, and there are probably more than 20 within 50 miles of where I am.......
You should listen to the song, The White Cliffs Of Dover Song by Vera Lynn. It's a song sung during the War but makes reference to the white cliffs of Dover and will help you understand why Dover Castle was important during that time. Also, a part of the song was quoted by the Queen to the British people during Covid "We will meet again" you should check that out too.
Windsor Castle for Queen Elizabeth II was more than Summer home. In reality she would see this as her home and stay there at weekends. Buckingham Palace is more know as the working office.
It costs an absolute fortune to maintain these castles so I welcome gift shops and understand why there can be admission charges. The same goes for stately homes.
Over 4,000 castles if you count the whole UK, in various states of repair and ruin. Some are in excellent condition and have been lived in and updated continuously. The Royal family has several residences, some are state residences some are privately owned like Balmoral Castle in Scotland which is 50, 000 acres estate, and that in turn within a National Park an area of outstanding natural beauty
And there are so many more. I've recently spent a morning going round a well-preserved castle in Chepstow, Gwent ( in Wales). Unbelievably, its originally wooden door is still intact! Arundel Castle is the seat of the Duke of Norfolk, England's top noble, who as Earl Marshal of England played a very important part in the Coronation. A church not far from me, Deerhurst in Gloucestershire, mostly dates from 780. After going round a castle, you kinda want a tea room, and many are excellent. Castles run by English Heritage usually have excellent gift shops, in which you can sample ancient drinks, like mead... You can become a member of English Heritage - as you can of the National Trust. This can cut the cost of visiting a number of castles.
We have loads of manor houses too which I think you would like. The monarch lives in Buckingham palace officially and the other residences are I guess to move around the country to reign over its people, for other family members to live in and to serve for state purposes and visits. Plus who else is going to own so many castles unless it’s Royalty right 😂 Like the stunning Balmoral in Scotland was a favourite of the late Queen because of her family ties to the region plus its stunning. Some residences such as the Tower of London are no longer used to officially reside in but its firstly a prison 😮 and a vault and home to the Royal guards, the Beefeaters and of course the Crown Jewels. Great video. 🎉
My local one, Dudley Castle, built 1070, is an impressive example; but one of the things it's also known for: a cut and paste was quicker The Dudley Castle Condoms The Dudley Castle condoms represent the earliest definitive physical evidence of the use of animal membrane condoms in post-medieval Europe. The keep's latrines ('garderobes') were sealed during the demolition of the Castle's defences in 1647. The intact deposits, uncovered during excavations, contained both the domestic and organic remains of the occupying Royalists who defended the Castle under siege conditions between 1642 and 1646. They represent a microcosm of the castle garrison's lifestyle. The contents of the keep's garderobe were recovered intact and processed by sieving and hand-sorting. Seeds of coriander, figs, grapes, pumpkins and strawberries were uncovered alongside animal, bird and fish bones. Examination of the compacted mass produced a startling discovery - the blackened remains of five animal membrane condoms - presumably used and discarded and a further five condoms - presumably unused as they nestled one inside the other. After further analysis by the Dept of Scientific Research, British Museum, their significance was magnified due to the nature of the find and the extraordinary archaeological circumstances in which they were found. Who might have used the condoms is not known; however the complexity of manufacture must have made them relatively expensive so perhaps the preserve of the officer class? It is known that officer's wives were present during the Royalist occupation. Dorothy Beaumont, the wife of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beaumont, was recorded as having a child 'borne and buryd' on the same day in 1644. However, as this testifies this was neither the time or place to introduce children into the world.
There are much older 'castles' which are the remains of mediaeval hill forts and the like. Sometimes no more than a grassy mound with their (wooden) palisades long since rotted away, or quite frequently incorporated in more recent iterations of castle building on the same site.
Number 4 Warwick Castle just 4 miles from me, even my current town has large castle but a lot less complete still lot left , Kenilworth Castle. younger years my mum and uncle were involved in the medieval shows at castles, we taken part at Warwick castle, me my brother dressed in period costume, real deal special pro made wooden bows perfect for our height, could kill easy lots fun shooting arrows across field over 320ft some landed in garden at end field and real arrows too mad the stuff i got up to young before health and safety nanny state arrived. was at mums house practicing when we were not touring Welsh castles, not so many English castles, my mum and uncle took part in battles full costume and armor, swards, shields but even with that you get badly bruised at times as the hard hits you hear 200ft away are hard hits , while my mum and uncle did that as well as birds prey, me and my brother in period costume and weapons went around the show with birds of prey, my fav was the huge eagle owl or the kestrel, my bother like the barn owl a lot, so much fun younger years and seen so many castles all over Wales and few in England, my fav prob for views and been to that castle more that once for show is Criccieth not lot left but it has great views, it divides a town a castle on tall rock over looking town on coast with beach both sides and the roads some very steep. Fun thing with Warwick castle my driving test was past the castle and through the Warwick town castle walls, kenilworth castle they hold one biggest firework displays in the west midlands at the castle , every year go to photograph it try get in local paper what achieved a few times even front page, the event can attracted around 13,000 visitors plus, town population over doubles for that evening. last few years hit and miss even canceled but last year it was back to normal and not long till the next firework display, if in area at time well worth a visit
Shame on him, he's English for goodness sake, and should know the L is silent in Alnwick -it's pronounced Annick. Northumberland here - said to have more castles per capita than any other county, by virtue of it being the frontier county on England's north-eastern flank, defending off the Scots, Danes, Vikings, Saxons, Angles etc over different periods of history. I don't know if this is factually true (the per capita claim), but two castles are within 2 miles of my home - Aydon Castle and Langley Castle (now a wedding venue).
@@elainecampbell8227 i would expect you to know that the english weren't fighting off angle and saxons invasions😂 especially when northumberland had castles😂
My grandads back garden in warwick backed up to the moat and the view was amazing of the castle. He never told me what he got from the sale when he sold the house!
There’s a lot castles in about a 20 to 30 mile radius of my house There’s Durham, Raby, Branspeth, Witton, Bowes, Auckland and Barnard Castle and they’re just the ones off the top of my head and I’ve just remembered another Lumley Castle which is now a hotel and a beautiful place to stay oh and I’ve just remembered Lambton Castle which is practically Lumley castles neighbour.
The way the narrator said "Alnwick" hurt me a little, instead of Alln - wick it is pronounced An - ick. Love your reactions! :)
I dislike this narrator. His vids are sometimes very bizarre. There is one in which he says my city York likes Daewoo cars. 🤯 Erm, you could live here a decade and not see one. The sh*tty brand hasn’t even been in sale in the UK for over a decade either.
As a local, his pronunciation of Alnwick hurt me 😂
He's not a north east lad 🇬🇧
Haha, I thought the same! He really butchered the pronunciation. 😂
@@shaunnicholson-ul9xt I'm a Berkshire lass through and through and even I know it's "Annick"! 😊
As you were shocked at 1500 castles in England I guess it will blow your mind when you find out that there are over 4000 castles in the whole of the United Kingdom.
To be fair, theres a few for sale and whilst pricey, they are still within "normal people" prince range
I was going to type the same! I was actually walking around Carrickfergus Castle at the weekend...
Not mentioning all the manor houses too 🎉
In one of my classes I remember it being mentioned that at the height of the middle ages there was no place in England that was more than a day's walk to a fortified town, manor house, or castle. In case of invasion, all citizens (including peasants) could always get to a safe position by nightfall.
That is fine for the United Kingdom. The estimated number of castles in Germany is 25000. In words: twenty-five-thousand. Questions anybody?
Windsor Castle is not a summer residence. The late queen spent most of her weekends there as it is quite close to London. She also lived there full time during Covid. The large home park at Windsor contains a number of other Royal properties and other members of the family live close by including the Prince and Princess of Wales. Windsor is where they breed the famous Windsor grey horses that are used to pull the royal carriages.
If any of the four main royal residents were a summer residents it would be Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands. Then you could say her winter residence where she spends Christmas and New Year would be Sandringham in Norfolk.
The late Queen lived here weekends until towards the later years. Summer was Balmoral
If you go to Dover Castle you must take a tour of all of the tunnels under it, They were mainly built during the Napoleonic wars but were extended during world war 2. It was from here that the evacuation from Dunkirk was controlled.
I knew a Wren Officer who was involved. Fine woman. RIP.
Also ops room during WW2
I love Hever Castle, a really lovely place. I was surprised Bamburgh Castle wasn't on the list as it and its location are stunningly beautiful. 😍
I agree! Bamburgh should be on the list. It’s so beautiful
Bamburgh is an amazing location
Loved the loggia and fountain area at Hever
Alnwick Castle was used for bits of Hogwarts. Pronounced Annick which the narrator got wrong🙈
Highclere Castle is the home of the Earls of Carnarvon one of whom, the fifth earl, in the 1920's financed the search and finding of King Tutankhamen's Tomb!
Warwick Castle is an absolute stunner. Visited it twice as a nipper and loved every minute. They even do a show with the Warwick Bowman, who tells you all about English archery and the times we gave the French a damned good thrashing.
So how long does that show last, a week? 😂
@@sunnyjim1355 hahaha nice
I took a visiting US friend there. She was almost dumbstruck, not easy for the USA :o) We went down into the dungeon and saw the hell-hole 'oubliette', the dungeon-in-a-dungeon, the entrance being a metal grate in the floor where prisoners were dropped in and 'oubliette'd - forgotten. She said her highlights, which couldn't be culturally further apart, were York Minster and the Blackpool Illuminations.
@@terencejay8845 lol i'm from Blackpool myself. Good to hear your mate enjoyed herself 👍
Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England but according to this very southern view only one is worth a visit -Alnwick, which is pronounced "annick" . So what about Bamburgh, Warkworth, Norham, Dunstanburgh to name a few of my favourites? Come on, there is a lot of history north of Warwick!!
Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh are both great castles I have been to
For sure. Lucky enough to live in the NE on the coast and during the summer on days off I'll do the castle route and see most of those. Bamburgh is especially stunning, seeing it sat proudly on the mound for miles.
Going tomorrow to Kielder from Kent, I love Northumberland, dont paint all southerners as the same.
The commentator doesn't say other castles are not worth visiting. He is just giving HIS view of the top ten. If you think all top 10 castles are in Northumberland, then goody for you, that's your choice.
The Normans introduced the Motte and Bailey Castle design after 1066. The motte being the central tower and the Bailey the lower yard. Arundel and Windsor are good examples of this.
Been to warwick castle a short time ago ..its amazing all the old weapons and rooms etc 😊
My mother served as an officer in the ATS in the tunnels under Dover Castle during WWll. Not only was it the setting for the planning of operation Dynamo, to rescue our troops from Dunkirk, and for D-Day, but it was a vital Signals station and communications hub. There was also an underground hospital.
I'm surprised Hever Castle wasn't on the list. Also in Kent and one of the nicer looking ones, well kept, beautiful grounds and it even has a double moat.
14:09 a good view of the remains of the Roman lighthouse - the "Pharos"
Dover Castle, built on the order of King Henry II, is nick-named "The Key to England"
Galleries cut into the chalk cliffs under the castle, excavated during the Napoleonic wars, were extended and used by UK defence forces in both World Wars.
Great reaction to some of our beautiful castles 🏰 Recently came across your channel and love the content..sending you love from London 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 ❤
Same
Me three
The Geordies will be having a fit over his pronunciation of Alnwick, it is pronounced Anick as a former boss of mine corrected me after I had visited it.
It appears the video maker had trouble getting away from the south of England apart from hi stake on Harry Potter. He missed Bamburgh castle completely along with the rest of the castles of Northumberland which were built and used on a more regular basis to stop the Scots. He appears to have never have heard of Conisbrough castle with it's unique keep . The castle was used as the castle in Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe.
I would suggest the video maker get out and about a little more as England is much more than just the south of the country.
Not just Geordies!! I was correcting the narrator too! Definitely pronounced Annick as you say 👍🏼
I agree with the last sentence! The old Kingdom of Northumbria has loads of history. In addition to Alnwick we have Dunstanburgh Castle near Craster ( another one's pronunciation to catch out others" Dunstan borough Castle") Warkworth castle is a few miles further south. Chillingham Castle with it's white cattle is worth a visit Raby Castle in County Durham. Richmond Castle North Yorkshire. Another favourite is a small Castle in a big city , Newcastle Castle in Newcastle upon Tyne! Home of the Geordies. Hadrian's wall has a castle every mile, called -yes milecastles again a great place to see. Its not a Castle but Whitby Abbey is worth researching - Whitby is where Dracula crept ashore . Cathedrals are great too - Durham's is magnificent . Come and visit and see for yourselves.
Bambugh castle
I was waiting for Bamburgh to pop up. Far and away better than most of the castles mentioned here.
@@elizadoomuch9941 and Lindisfarne right next door.
I live in Norfolk and we have 20 castles also there is over 3000 stately homes and manor houses in England. Sandringham is 5 minutes from where I live. We have a lot of old buildings arch's and walls
I live in the 2nd largest village in Europe. In Saxon times with written records showing it was founded in AD 970
Don't be put off by the crowds, the Tower of London is well worth a visit. Get on a guided tour conducted by a 'Beefeater'...superb. Scottish and Welsh castles are impressive as well.
ALNWICK is. pronounced (phonetic spelling here) ANN-IK. Been there hundreds of times as I am (as said) a Geordie. BTW, unlike the US, tea rooms etc. are not there to make a profit in most cases - a family can spend hours looking around a castle and NEED access to refreshments. Many visitors ASK if memorabilia or gifts are available to remember their visit. Was Bamburgh Castle mentioned? No? Hmm.
In Northumberland we have the most castles , around 72
Right. I grew up in Rothbury. That was painful lol. And your right, no mention of bamburgh, how do you talk about castles in England and not include it?
John, yes Dover would be a good choice. Under it and within the chalk cliffs are miles of tunnels started in the time of the defence agaist an attack by Naloleon but the even used as a lookout in the Second World War. There are photos of Churchill standing looking out over the English Channel survdying the war. They remained Secret until about 20 years zgo but are now a wonderful place to visit.
If you're interested in learning about the history of some of the castles featured here such as Leeds, Arundel, Alnwick and Dover I'd strongly recommend a series called Secrets of Great British Castles. Each episode delves into the history of a specific castle from when it was built to the modern day. I found it really fascinating.
Scotland and Wales are also well-endowed with castles. It's what we do...😉 Warwick Castle is a great place to visit and close to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare which also has fantastic places to visit.
The OLDEST Castle in England is Pevensey Castle in East Sussex built around 290 AD and known to the Romans as Anderitum, the fort appears to have been the base for a fleet called the Classis Anderidaensis. It was then reoccupied by the Normans in 1066
The romans didn’t build castles, they built forts. The castle ar Pevensey was built by the Normans within the Roman fort structure. There’s a difference between a fort and a castle. Also, Pevensey isn’t the only Roman fort of that period to still exist, there are several ranging from Hants to Norfolk.
there is a church in my small town almost 1000 years old. The UK is full of old buildings
When I was a kid, ( I am from London), we had a school visit to the tower of London, on that day Yuri Gagarin (the first man in space?) was there, I was about two feet from him, he was a little guy with a massive Hat ..the press was going mad and there was flashing cameras everywhere ..we knew he was famous, but didn't really know who he was at the time..special eh? nice to know you have seen special people in history
I would go to dover castle since I live
in dover
The best view of Warwick Castle is from the bridge. Beautiful place, not far from my home and where we got married.
Arundel near me, had an ancestor who lived there. Bodiam near too. Love Leeds and the grounds. You can go in off peak times to these places like after holiday times. Living on the coast in East Sussex just up from Kent, we are 27 miles away from France. I have Pevensey Castle near me first built in Roman times, the Roman walls are still there and it is has been used through history including by William the Conqueror in 1066
How are both Arundel Castle and Pevensey Castle 'near' you... they are over 40 miles apart! 😂
@@sunnyjim1355 I have a house on the Pevensey/Eastbourne border and a small flat in Slindon, thanks for asking.
I could cycle to Arundel in about an hour. Iv'e even done some electrical work inside main building.
I live 5 minutes from Arundel castle it has its own lake ( Swanborne lake) The inside really is beautiful. And they have medieval events and tournaments there regularly. And as you can see even the town of Arundel has the castle walls running through much of it.
Most of these Castles were not built all in one go. They evolved over the centuries.
Different methods and styles of building. More up to date conveniences as the times and technologies developed.
They were originally built as fortresses, not as a home for a single family.
Even those still inhabited are so large and cover such a large area, that a family can use a "relatively" small number of rooms without being encroached upon by visitors.
I live in Colchester, which has aptly named Colchester Castle which is an old Norman Keep built by Gundalf of Rochester. Dating from the second half of the eleventh century. The keep of the castle is mostly intact and is the largest example of its kind anywhere in Europe, due to its being built on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius. Definitely check out Colchester if you love history.
the queen did stay there, but her favourite place was balmoral in scotland, where she sadly passed, buckingham palace is really only used at an office these days, not much time spent there,
Think I heard King and Queen have moved into the Palace permanently 🤔
@@maureenalder8905 you could be right, i was talking more about the queen, RIP
@@maureenalder8905the monarch normally lives in Buckingham Palace but spends their “summer” in a second residence
@@maureenalder8905 i was thinking about that, im not 100% sure, i wont disagree with you, but over the last 6 months, looking at tourist vlogs, the royal standard i have only seen once, , as well as the guards at the front, there has only been 2, there are 4 when in king in at the palace, im not saying your in away, just an observation
Nottingham Castle is a beautiful place to visit. The castle was originally built in 1068, the original gatehouse and entrance are still there, but the castle was destroyed in 1651. It has recently undergone a multi-million pound makeover and has reopened to the public (2023). It has magnificent views over the valleys. The art gallery is worth a visit, old masters and modern art. Harold Knight, Laura Knight, Auguste Rodin, Jacob Epstein etc. And not to mention a separate exhibition to Robin Hood. There are tours of the caves too. Nottingham is known as the City of Caves, which is due to being built on sandstone.
Is that at Clipstone?
The castle is in the centre of Nottingham. There are also hundreds of tunnels and caves running under Nottingham for miles.
From someone who lives in Arundel, he forgot to mention that it is the Duke of Norfolk’s residence, is still lived in and is the heart of the town.
Hi, just found your channel, it’s great. There are some beautiful castles and I was sorry not to see Hever Castle. It’s really worth seeing, more Tudor than ancient ruin. Hope you check it out. Hope you cover stately houses as many are more imposing than castles. Happy visiting 😃
I am an Australian but my family tree on my paternal grandfather's mother's side has been traced back to the 1660's in England and we found a family castle, which has been in the family since 1085! (Croft Castle) I couldn't believe it - like something out of a movie. I will definitely drop in for tea and scones I ever make it over there!
I went to high school roughly half a mile from Warwick Castle, no matter how often I see it, it always amazes me. I also had the opportunity to do the “dungeons after dark” tour a few years back which was fantastic. Really gets the imagination going as to just how horrific it must have been back in the day. Some of the torture equipment used was insane!
Dover is an excellent choice , I went there as a teenager and it was amazing.
I can highly recommend Warwick Castle having lived just down the road from it when I lived in Warwick. St. Mary’s church is a good visit as well as it’s closely tied with the castle.
If you are interested, I would recommend a series of documentary videos called "Crown and Country".
There are 30+ in the series.
They were made by HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Edingburgh in the nineties, early two thousands. He wrote, narrated, and produced them through his own production company, Ardent. Most of them, are about half an hour long.
They cover many of the towns, cities, castles, palaces, etc. that have royal connections over the centuries.
They provide many answers to some of the questions you pose at various times through this reaction video... and they come straight from the "horses mouth," so to speak.
As you will see from the documentaries credits, he is shown as Edward Windsor, or later as Edward Wessex, after he married and acquired the title of Earl of Wessex.
Interestingly, he never used the titles "His Royal Highness," or "Prince" when he made these documentaries.
😅
If you spent some time in Kent then you have access to Rochester Castle, Leeds Castle, Hever Castle, Upnor Castle and Dover Castle. All except Upnor were mentioned in this video. If we take Rochester Castle as a starting point then Upnor Castle is just under 4 miles away. Leeds Castle is 13 miles away, Hever Castle is 34 miles away and Dover Castle is 47 miles away.
I'm really enjoying your reaction videos. As an English woman now living in Spain it's great seeing my beautiful home country through your eyes. Also you have such a relaxing voice 😊
The queen used Windsor as her main home especially at the end of her life. They use Windsor every weekend at least.
That was a really good 'Twofer'; A well-presented mini documentary, and a very pleasant reaction to it.
With regard to Windsor Castle, I see a lot of remarks made by Americans about the wealth of the U.K. Royal Family and how it is wrong for only one family to have so much wealth.
But Americans do not realise that a lot of the wealth they see is really part of the Crown Estates which, technically, in a weird way, is owned by the U.K State. It is held in trust for the U.K. nation and the Monarch is not allowed to sell any part of it but is obligated to maintain it as a custodian.
There are a lot of similarities between UK Royal residences and US Presidential residences.
US Head of State = US President
UK Head of State = UK Monarch (King or Queen)
US Head of State Administrative Office AND Residence = White House (owned by the State)
UK Head of State Administrative Office AND Residence = Buckingham Palace (Mon-Thur) (owned by the State)
UK Head of State Weekend Residence = Windsor Castle (Fri-Sun) (owned by the State)
US Head of State Vacation Residence = Martha’s Vineyard
UK Head of State Winter Vacation Residence = Sandringham House (privately owned by the Monarch)
UK Head of State Summer Vacation Residence = Balmoral Castle (privately owned by the Monarch)
Tons of castles, I live in Wales which had more castles than anywhere else. I have 2 in my town
Yes, and built by the English... so it's really not something to be proud of. 😁
I believe wakes has 600 castles northumberland has the most in England over 70 castles
Warwick castle is also probably one of the best, but it all depends which neck of the woods you’ll be visiting. I have a castle in my home town dating back from the 11th century. Though not as well preserved as Warwick and Dover.
Warwick castle has been reduced to a disneyesque castle they have made a mockery of its history. No wonder the yanks like it.. it’s lost it’s integrity. 🙁
Alnwick castle was used while filming some scenes from the 1st two Harry potter films. The outer bailey for instance is where the scene of Harry and Co learning to fly brooms with Madam Hooch (where Neville gets thrown off his broom) and the Quidditch scene were also shot there too.
At Dover, there were actually two Pharos (lighthouses), one on the East Cliff, the remains of which can be seen at Dover Castle and the other on the Western Heights, though sadly not much remains but the site is commemorated with a plaque. You can see a model of the harbour at Dover, and how it looked over a thousand years ago, at the Roman Painted House in the town.
I visited Windsor last year. It was amazing. My favourite part was the chappel. What i loved though was how accessable it was for the disabled. My Mam is disabled, and she could get everywhere. Oh and when you go to the cafe, pop to the loo, it's like something from Harry potter 😆. What i mean by that, is all the stalls are wooden arches, there are no taps or flushes. You just wave you hand over everything, i was like a little kid 😆.
It's used as a summer home by the monarch, because Buckingham palace is seen as an official residence. But a lot of lesser royals have homes and apartments there. The late queen loved it. Also the publice don't get to see any private apartments. So in reality, they aren't traipsing through anyone's home. Besides, places like Buckingham and Windsor, don't belong to the monarch, The castle isn't a private owned place, it belongs to the crown estate, so it's basically ours, along with most of the artifacts in it.
I think the first image after Windsor Castle was of the Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds. It’s a folly. Marvellous views.
Nottingham Castle is a beautiful place to visit. The castle was originally built in 1068, the original gatehouse and entrance are still there, but the castle was destroyed in 1651. It has recently undergone a multi-million pound makeover and has reopened to the public (2023). It has magnificent views over the valleys. The art gallery is worth a visit, old masters and modern art. Harold Knight, Laura Knight, Auguste Rodin, Jacob Epstein etc. And not to mention a separate exhibition to Robin Hood. There are tours of the caves too. Nottingham is known as the City of Caves, which is due to being built on sandstone. Love your channel, and voice. 😊
Wales has some great castles
South Wales has more than 20 on there own :)
To be fair, the video does say ‘English Castles’, so the Welsh would VERY upset if a Welsh castle was included, justifiably.
Hello, I've just discovered your channel and I'm really enjoying your reactions.
I once went to Arundel Castle for a regional conference. The Castle was closed to the public that day so it was just us and we got a lovely private tour too. At the end of the day I was waiting for my colleague in the Great Hall and I ended up in there on my own. It was an amazing moment.
Windsor and The Tower of London are touristy but they are both worth the visit. Windsor is more than just a summer residence. The late Queen lived there during WWII and Covid and she spent her weekends there. She is now buried in the chapel. There was a big fire at the castle in 1992 and it was after that that it opened to the public to pay for rebuild.
My town had a castle which is long gone but it was built on top of a Neolithic mound which has been carbon dated to 2,400BC. It was part of the Castles William the Conqueror had built when he invaded.
There are lots of videos of the Yeoman Warder Tours at The Tower of London. You might enjoy them.
Wow, a private tour sounds amazing! The age of these places blows my mind! Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers from the US!
I live in Lincolnshire. So as mentioned nearby is Nottingham castle but also we have Belvoir castle which holds jousting tournaments as well as many other things and we have Lincoln castle up on the hill near the cathedral and home to one of four original copies of the magna carta left in existence
This just shows how young America is. When we find something from the 1800's we're amazed. Also at Windsor, I'm sure they don't show the private living quarters of the Royals. They also have a home in Scotland.
I love your channel 👍
Also, you have such a dreamy voice, soo relaxing! 👌
The mound with s buiding in the second castle was the original Motte and Bailey castle which you mentioned in another video.
We really enjoy visiting castles, the best ruined ones we've visited are Goodrich Castle and Old Wardour Castle, which was in the movie Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. Probably the best one I've seen that's not ruined and still loves in is Berkeley Castle. Great reaction, wishing you well
You should definitely come up north to Alnwick Castle, it has beautiful gardens to visit too with tree bridges and a huge scale treehouse that has just been revamped/resculptured and sits in the county of Northumberland where we have the most castles in a single county in England totalling 81! (Some in ruin)
The Tower of London is the oldest castle. During the colder months a castle is not warm enough to live in. Buckingham palace will have central heating.
There are even more castles in Wales and Scotland, Ireland has many too. Dover to Calais is the shortest route across the channel.
Leeds Castle confuses some people (it isn't in Leeds). When polls have been held "Warwick Castle" wins.
Remember that the 1500 referred to England only, there's also Scotland and Wales to add to them. Also, the narrator was quite wrong about Windsor being the summer home for the RF.
Corfe Castle for being defended by only 5 people when it was finally attacked and destroyed. With just 2 defending casualties has to go top of my castle list just for the entire insanity of the situation.
I would love to take you around and about in the uk, your enthusiasm would be fun to be around and open my eyes what I’m so use to seeing. My hubby has a great interest in history so fairly well informed. If you ever make it to the UK I hope you a ball.
What would you do all day in Windsor Castle. Vacuuming, dusting, decorating and gardening.
The word MOT originally meant a mound or a high area that a defensive position was built upon but as kings made their subjects dig defensive trenches around their holding the word MOT changed from a mound to a defensive trench.
You have Motte from Motte and Bailey (mound or hill sorrounded by wall or fence) confused with Moat. Two different things
@@kathleenhynes44How nice of you to correct him in such a patronising manner. 🙂👍🇬🇧
There are 3 within 30 minutes of my house.
The royal family don’t really live in Buck Pal much. It’s more like their office. They spend a lot of time at Sandringham in the winter.
I’ve been to some of these. Bodiam is stunningly beautiful. It’s what I think we would all draw if a child drawing a castle, with round towers, battlements, moat and a very pleasing symmetry.
I haven’t been to Dover yet. That’s definitely on the list!
Buckingham Palace is mainly Offices..Windsor is the usual abode of the Royals, not just Summer..Where we live we're near to Sandringham which IS the Summer residence of the Family, but you can look round when they're not at home..Just can't see the bedrooms....Balmoral is the other Private home.
If you include the places where archaeologists say a castle was, then we have about 4,000 castles in England, Wales has around 500 and Scotland around 800.
It is said that Northumberland has more castles than the rest of England. Bamborough Castle is probably the best and likely saw more fighting than any castle south of the Tyne.
Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, and Windsor. Loved Windsor Castle, all the medieval swords and suits of armour etc
If you visit Windsor in the summer try to go to an evening meet at the racecourse, on Mondays thru the summer.
You can catch a boat from the Riverside to it.
Pick a nice night mind.
Great video, I used to like to visit Arundel .
I actually enjoyed this video JJ! good choice bud!
Another great video Sir. I am lucky that I live near Ludlow, Shropshire, close to the Welsh border. And as a result there are at least 10 castles within a 45 minute drive from my home. Some are still in a reasonable shape, and some are little more than a few rows of stone walls. But it's wonderful to be surrounded by many centuries of History. And if you ever do get the chance to visit our fair shores, make sure you visit Dover Castle. and the tunnels beneath. There are different layers that were dug out at different times in History. One level being used in WW2 as a hospital for pilots who had to bail out over The Channel after dogfights defending us from German bombers. Some of the rooms have small windows carved into the chalk overlooking the Channel, yet you don't notice them looking at the White Cliffs. There is also a lower level that we couldn't visit due to the Official Secrets Act. But that was many years ago and is probably open by now.
Rochester has had a fort/Castle on the banks of the River Medway since the Roman Invasion of Britannia, the Romans put the first bridge across the river and the one that stands today is only meters away from the original footings. The gatehouse of the castle that looks onto the river was where the original bridge started. Arundel Castle is still the home and seat of the Duke of Norfolk. And it does indeed have a good elevation which is seen for miles. We do have some magnificent castles, sadly a lot of them ruins. If I was to pick my two favs it would be Lewes Castle and Conisborough Castle
I'm a Kent girl and have been to Rochester, Leeds, Hever and Dover Castle many times. Upnor Castle is very near Rochester Castle on the opposite side of the river Medway. That's a nice one too 😊
@@ThegirlfromU.N.C.L.E I lived in Rochester for a few years before a job location change. Loved the time there, used to picnic on a small bit of ground near Bakers Walk. Very nice in the summer
You could start your day at Dover castle, train to Rochester castle, train to Eltham Palace and still be in Central London for dinner time!
I actually live only a couple of miles from Rochester, and the castle is one of my favourite places.
My daughter's friend from Iowa came to stay with us for a while, and a couple of days after arriving, we went to Rochester and to the castle.
As we got out the taxi, and he held the door for my daughter, I realised that he hadn't seen the castle, and called to him.
As Rochester is one of the oldest, and is the tallest Keep Castle in England, when I pointed it out to him, he had the typical😮 face! Lol
Then I informed him that that castle had been sitting there, for around 300 years, before his country was even officially discovered!
When he finally managed to pick his jaw up off the floor, my daughter took him to the castle and the surrounding area. And he loved it.
Although not on this list, we also have another younger castle around the corner and just down a bit on the other side of the river Medway, called Upnor Castle, built to help defend the Royal Dockyard of Chatham from invaders coming up the river. Unfortunately the chain stretched across the river didnt help, and the Dutch still managed to sail up to the river to Chatham Dockyard and tow our flagship away with them back to the Netherlands. Lol
Of those top 10 shown here, I've been to 8 of them! The only two I've not been to Yet, were Alnwick (pronounced Anne-ick), and Windsor Castles. The others are beautiful.
arundel castle is one of my favourite places ever, it’s absolutely beautiful. i’ve been so many times
Visit the Tower of London - so much to see 😊 although the best guided tour I ever had was at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland ❤
After the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror built a castle regularly to keep the native population under control!
Although not mentioned here, I am rather fond of Lumley Castle in County Durham. It's only about 15 minutes from where I live and is now a hotel. About once a year it hosts "Dungeons and Dragon's in a castle" where people can pay to stay in the castle for the weekend and play D+D.
It is also a popular wedding venue.
You though there might be 20 castles in the whole of England? I live in the North of England, and there are probably more than 20 within 50 miles of where I am.......
You should listen to the song, The White Cliffs Of Dover
Song by Vera Lynn. It's a song sung during the War but makes reference to the white cliffs of Dover and will help you understand why Dover Castle was important during that time. Also, a part of the song was quoted by the Queen to the British people during Covid "We will meet again" you should check that out too.
Windsor Castle for Queen Elizabeth II was more than Summer home. In reality she would see this as her home and stay there at weekends. Buckingham Palace is more know as the working office.
Hi there it's John from England great video again
It costs an absolute fortune to maintain these castles so I welcome gift shops and understand why there can be admission charges. The same goes for stately homes.
Arundel is five miles from us and we regularly visit its gorgeous
Over 4,000 castles if you count the whole UK, in various states of repair and ruin. Some are in excellent condition and have been lived in and updated continuously. The Royal family has several residences, some are state residences some are privately owned like Balmoral Castle in Scotland which is 50, 000 acres estate, and that in turn within a National Park an area of outstanding natural beauty
And there are so many more. I've recently spent a morning going round a well-preserved castle in Chepstow, Gwent ( in Wales). Unbelievably, its originally wooden door is still intact!
Arundel Castle is the seat of the Duke of Norfolk, England's top noble, who as Earl Marshal of England played a very important part in the Coronation.
A church not far from me, Deerhurst in Gloucestershire, mostly dates from 780.
After going round a castle, you kinda want a tea room, and many are excellent. Castles run by English Heritage usually have excellent gift shops, in which you can sample ancient drinks, like mead...
You can become a member of English Heritage - as you can of the National Trust. This can cut the cost of visiting a number of castles.
We have loads of manor houses too which I think you would like. The monarch lives in Buckingham palace officially and the other residences are I guess to move around the country to reign over its people, for other family members to live in and to serve for state purposes and visits. Plus who else is going to own so many castles unless it’s Royalty right 😂 Like the stunning Balmoral in Scotland was a favourite of the late Queen because of her family ties to the region plus its stunning. Some residences such as the Tower of London are no longer used to officially reside in but its firstly a prison 😮 and a vault and home to the Royal guards, the Beefeaters and of course the Crown Jewels. Great video. 🎉
My local one, Dudley Castle, built 1070, is an impressive example; but one of the things it's also known for: a cut and paste was quicker
The Dudley Castle Condoms
The Dudley Castle condoms represent the earliest definitive physical evidence of the use of animal membrane condoms in post-medieval Europe. The keep's latrines ('garderobes') were sealed during the demolition of the Castle's defences in 1647.
The intact deposits, uncovered during excavations, contained both the domestic and organic remains of the occupying Royalists who defended the Castle under siege conditions between 1642 and 1646. They represent a microcosm of the castle garrison's lifestyle. The contents of the keep's garderobe were recovered intact and processed by sieving and hand-sorting. Seeds of coriander, figs, grapes, pumpkins and strawberries were uncovered alongside animal, bird and fish bones.
Examination of the compacted mass produced a startling discovery - the blackened remains of five animal membrane condoms - presumably used and discarded and a further five condoms - presumably unused as they nestled one inside the other. After further analysis by the Dept of Scientific Research, British Museum, their significance was magnified due to the nature of the find and the extraordinary archaeological circumstances in which they were found.
Who might have used the condoms is not known; however the complexity of manufacture must have made them relatively expensive so perhaps the preserve of the officer class? It is known that officer's wives were present during the Royalist occupation. Dorothy Beaumont, the wife of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beaumont, was recorded as having a child 'borne and buryd' on the same day in 1644. However, as this testifies this was neither the time or place to introduce children into the world.
There are much older 'castles' which are the remains of mediaeval hill forts and the like. Sometimes no more than a grassy mound with their (wooden) palisades long since rotted away, or quite frequently incorporated in more recent iterations of castle building on the same site.
Number 4 Warwick Castle just 4 miles from me, even my current town has large castle but a lot less complete still lot left , Kenilworth Castle. younger years my mum and uncle were involved in the medieval shows at castles, we taken part at Warwick castle, me my brother dressed in period costume, real deal special pro made wooden bows perfect for our height, could kill easy lots fun shooting arrows across field over 320ft some landed in garden at end field and real arrows too mad the stuff i got up to young before health and safety nanny state arrived. was at mums house practicing when we were not touring Welsh castles, not so many English castles, my mum and uncle took part in battles full costume and armor, swards, shields but even with that you get badly bruised at times as the hard hits you hear 200ft away are hard hits , while my mum and uncle did that as well as birds prey, me and my brother in period costume and weapons went around the show with birds of prey, my fav was the huge eagle owl or the kestrel, my bother like the barn owl a lot, so much fun younger years and seen so many castles all over Wales and few in England, my fav prob for views and been to that castle more that once for show is Criccieth not lot left but it has great views, it divides a town a castle on tall rock over looking town on coast with beach both sides and the roads some very steep. Fun thing with Warwick castle my driving test was past the castle and through the Warwick town castle walls, kenilworth castle they hold one biggest firework displays in the west midlands at the castle , every year go to photograph it try get in local paper what achieved a few times even front page, the event can attracted around 13,000 visitors plus, town population over doubles for that evening. last few years hit and miss even canceled but last year it was back to normal and not long till the next firework display, if in area at time well worth a visit
Shame on him, he's English for goodness sake, and should know the L is silent in Alnwick -it's pronounced Annick. Northumberland here - said to have more castles per capita than any other county, by virtue of it being the frontier county on England's north-eastern flank, defending off the Scots, Danes, Vikings, Saxons, Angles etc over different periods of history. I don't know if this is factually true (the per capita claim), but two castles are within 2 miles of my home - Aydon Castle and Langley Castle (now a wedding venue).
So, you expect every English person to know how everywhere in Englnad is pronounced? 🤦♂
@@sunnyjim1355 No, not at all, but I would expect them to be able to spell England correctly!
Yet the river is the Aln, which enters the sea at Alnmouth 🤔 we are a funny lot! 😂
@@elainecampbell8227 i would expect you to know that the english weren't fighting off angle and saxons invasions😂 especially when northumberland had castles😂
I live just down the road from Rochester castle, greetings from Rochester! :)
Depends what sort of thing you're interested in. For the oldest? Pevensey castle with its Roman walls. Or Maiden castle with its pre Roman earthworks.
My grandads back garden in warwick backed up to the moat and the view was amazing of the castle. He never told me what he got from the sale when he sold the house!
There’s a lot castles in about a 20 to 30 mile radius of my house There’s Durham, Raby, Branspeth, Witton, Bowes, Auckland and Barnard Castle and they’re just the ones off the top of my head and I’ve just remembered another Lumley Castle which is now a hotel and a beautiful place to stay oh and I’ve just remembered Lambton Castle which is practically Lumley castles neighbour.
Been to Alnwick castle a few times. Its the scene of many films and TV shows, including Harry Potter, the Transformers, Blackadder, etc
gift shop money with places like this in England generally go towards the upkeep of the estate