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Castles in
Castles come and castles go. But some also change in to something rather
different. As far as Beginning life as a wooden structure, three years after
the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent ‘harrying of the north’ in 1069 -
no the locals wouldn’t acquiesce quietly, It then came under the oppressive control of a series of
rather brutish earls such as Hugh of Avranches, also known as Hugh Lupus and
Ranulf, but later was bequeathed to the crown when the last of these Norman
earls died without issue (without any heirs). It did not take on something of an impressive form until
it was used as a stronghold in the mid 13th century by Edward 1 for his
campaigns in He strengthened the outer bailey with a huge stone wall,
and used it as a major military base to accomplish the conquering of the
principality and its people. But, visitors today would be surprised to see that very
little of the erstwhile structure has survived, as they have in many of
Edward’s other famous castles, such as Carnaervon, Conwy and Harlech. Those making a journey to tour its grounds now, would be
stunned to see something of a neo-classical collection of buildings that were
completed in the early part of the 19th century. In fact people could be forgiven for thinking they’d taken
a wrong turning and come to the steps of the But the reason for such changes lie directly in the
castle’s colourful and varied past. Suffice to say, the changes, in part, were brought about
after the stone castle was damaged very badly during the Civil War between
September 1644 to February 1645. Oliver Cromwell was determined after his six month siege
of Many of its walls and ramparts had been badly bombarded by
cannon fire and were in desperate need of repair. It had, in its hey day, a similar
look to say a castle at Caernaevon or
Harlech. And since its foundation, Towards the end of the 17th century it also had the honour
of becoming a royal mint. During the ‘Great Re-coinage’, respected astronomer
Edmund Halley (of Halley’s Comet fame) was appointed as president of the said
mint in This move had been deemed necessary because of the rampant
clipping of coins in general circulation.
This practice let its devotees gather sizeable amounts of precious
metal by slicing off small pieces from the said coins. However, the shillings etc, over time,
became almost unusable as a result. The decision to choose Today, however, what remains of the original Norman
castle, such as the The chapel, at the top of the tower, has the remains of
many impressive, medieval wall paintings.
Among them are depictions of miracles performed by the Virgin Mary -
such as her salvation of the priest, Theophilus, who had sold his soul to the
devil. The 18th century renovations were set in motion when it
was decided Fundamentally, however, the city leaders were swept along
with the reformist thinking of the time, and felt the castle grounds would be
a more than ideal location for a new gaol. It had, in any event, held anything up to 100 men and
women in the past. But because of the terrible conditions, people often
succumbed to typhus and or gaol fever, (went mad), as they lay in chains
waiting to either be freed or executed at nearby Boughton. A competition was held in 1785 with a prize of 50 guineas
to see who could put forward the best ideas and design. York-born Thomas Harrison impressed the
judging panel with his proposals to provide ample ‘security, separation and
ventilation’. Prisoners were no longer to be held in an enclosed airless
yard, but were to have dry, airy cells so there were less health risks and
better conditions overall. So pleased were the city fathers with These buildings, all in neo-classical style, went far
beyond the medieval castle grounds. It
was felt a new gateway, similar to that found at the Acropolis in The work took several decades to finish, and the Doric
columns at this opulent entrance way were not fully in place until 1822. Today, however, the renovated buildings have had their usage changed to some extent. The gaol is no more, however, the Crown
Court regularly sits here to judge criminal cases. And the local council also makes use of the Shire Hall for
some of its meetings. However, in place of the barracks and armoury, a small
military museum has been established.
It charts the history of One of the most interesting artefacts is a snuff box which belonged to one Admiral Lord
Nelson. It wasn’t donated or
bequeathed, but was rather found by accident when repairs were carried out on
some of the assize court’s Doric columns (in 1922). Admission to what remains of the original castle is
free. And it is open year round from
10.00am - 5.00pm in spring and summer, and 10.00am - 4.00pm in autumn and
winter. If people actually want to get a better idea of what the
original stone castle may have looked like, then they should actually walk
around the outside of the castle complex to Castle Drive and take a look at
the sandstone walls and battlements.
These too, however, over the course of the centuries have been
repaired and modified. But the
stonework and design is perhaps truer to the original 13th century castle
structure. And to find out more about the military museum go to the
following website:
www.chester.ac.uk/militarymuseum
As the old saying goes: ‘An Englishman’s home is his
castle’. And for some people when
building a new home, nothing less than a castle will do. And this was certainly the case for 19th century
philanthropist and wealthy land-owner, John Tollemache. With ancestral connections to the
Wilbrahams of Woodhey Hall, he decided to commission well-respected,
Victorian architect Anthony Salvin to design him a new manor house. However, it was to be no neo-classical or
gothic-style reconstruction. Rather Lord Tollemache, as he became later known, favoured
a castle in the style of Edward I, complete with portcullis, motte and
bailey. To see his dream come to fruition, Tollemache bought
around 35,000 acres of land in The castle, when the final design was approved, was built
in red sandstone over the course of six years from 1844 onwards. Expertly arranged around a circular courtyard, it had a
main keep in a distorted rectangular-style lay-out. A massive, circular tower took pride of
place at the back of this main range.
And smaller square and circular towers adorned its outer edges. Turrets neatly edged the roof and three
smaller satellite buildings were also placed evenly around the central courtyard. Thick, verdant woodland was allowed to grow around the
castle grounds and ¾ mile long driveway was installed from the main
gatehouse. Stables, a chapel, coach house, grain store and bakery also made
up the rest of the outlying buildings. In the mould of many wealthy aristocrats of the time, Lord
Tollemache, was also keen that his workers would share in his fortune and
prosperity. To bring this about, he renovated or built at least 100 farmhouses or cottages to
house his loyal workforce. Each was
also given at least 3 acres of land as part of the package. The Tollemaches and their descendants lived comfortably at
this private estate until the
outbreak of the Second World War. The
last of the Peckforton residents, Bently Tollemache retired to It was rented out periodically until 1988, when it was
bought by a hotelier and turned in to a country house hotel and wedding
venue. Since that time, it’s also appealed to film-makers in both
Today the castle does not open its doors to the general
public as a tourist attraction in its own right. But the average visitor can either sample
some delicious fare in its Victorian style, 1851 restaurant - or indeed join
in one of the many medieval banquets held here, replete with jesters,
troubadours and staff in courtly dress. Certain special events are also held throughout the year.
The castle also acts as an ideal location for weddings, private parties and
corporate functions. To find out more, visit the castle’s website on
www.peckfortoncastle.co.uk Address:
It is perhaps a quintessentially British phenomenon that
words are not pronounced as they would first seem. Take But perhaps the erstwhile scholars who decided on English
grammar form, felt such idiosyncrasies would
only enrich the language, and if nothing else catch out the unwary. And indeed those heading to Cholmondeley, need to make
sure they’re not misunderstood if they ever need to ask for directions. ‘Chumley’ as the castle is commonly known was built at the
turn of the 19th century by the 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley. Tracing his ancestry back to the Norman barons, his
forebears lived in this area since the 12th century. Many members of the dynasty had served as members of
parliament for A half brick and timber house had been built in 1571.
However, the present gothic-style building was constructed in its place at
the new Marquess’ behest. (Previous
Cholmondeleys had been known as the Earl of Leinster, among other titles). The architect Robert Smirke add the turrets and towers
seen today in 1817 to give the current building more a traditional
castle-like appearance. Today the mother of the 7th Marquess, Lavinia, lives at
the house that is more than 200 years old, and has, over the last 40 years,
overseen the opening up of the castle grounds to the general public. Since the 60s the already impressive gardens were
re-landscaped and planted with an amazing array of flowers, plants and
shrubs. Visitors are unfortunately not allowed to tour the actual
castle itself. However, it does
provide the perfect backdrop to the surrounding 500 acres that include row
upon row of flowers such as azaleas, camellias, magnolias, orchids, and trees
such as Cedars of Lebanon, oaks and sweet chestnuts.
Perhaps the best known part of the grounds is the Other miniature islands dot the lake and are joined to dry
land via mini wooden bridgeways. Koi carp also fill the waters, and perhaps
seem all the more impressive because of their mammoth size. Other attractions to watch out for are the abundance of
wildlife, which include some exotic breeds, such as South American llamas and
African pygmy goats. There are also
Shetland ponies and an array of pigs and sheep, among the growing menagerie
of animals. With designated picnic areas, a tea room and a farm shop,
there is also plenty for those in need of a bite to eat. The current Marchioness hosts a spectacular calendar of
special events, that include country fairs, firework displays and a wide
variety of musical concerts. The grounds are only open three days a week from 1st April
until 30th October in any given year.
More specifically, it is open on a Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday in
addition to bank holidays. The doors
open at 11.30am and close at 5.00pm. For more information go to the following websites:
www.destinations.uk.com or
www.shopshiretourism.info/attractiondetail.cfm?EstID=445 Address:
There is hidden treasure at Beeston so the story goes that
was left here in 1399 by Richard II on his way to quell an uprising in These untold riches, which would perhaps be worth millions
of pounds today, were said to include the king’s personal fortune of 100,000
marks (in gold coins) and other precious objects said to also be worth a
similar sum. Legend has it that the treasure was hidden in passages
running off the 370 foot deep castle well inside the inner bailey or
enclosure. Modern attempts to probe the well using sophisticated
electronic equipment has uncovered three hidden passages, but found no
treasure. However, some experts like
to believe there may still be a fourth. Many historians, however, are convinced that Henry
Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, actually requisitioned these riches when he
stripped Richard of his throne during that year. Unfortunately, for Richard, throughout his 22 year reign,
he never quite managed to rule peaceably with the coterie of barons that made
up his small parliament. When he executed and took the lands of some of his
enemies, he set a precedent that ensured a deep hatred festered among his
opponents. While in Leading noblemen urged Henry to take the crown as well as
his father’s confiscated property. And
this he did in 1400 when he became Henry IV and had Richard incarcerated at It was speculated his death could have been by starvation
or at the hands of some of Henry’s henchmen.
No records have ever been found to show the true cause. There had also been
little popular support for King Richard among his subjects. The merciless quelling of the Peasants’ Revolt at the
beginning of Richard’s reign (when he was only 14) and stringent laws that
held down wages were also not easily forgotten or forgiven. A series of poll
taxes that charged people equally, regardless of their circumstances, again
ensured that the king was not respected or revered. In spite of his own series of tragedies, Beeston had
actually passed to the crown during the reign of Richard’s maternal
great-great-grandfather Henry III. Henry had used it as a major military outpost in his
campaigns to conquer all of However, the actual castle was built by one of his
contemporaries, Ranulf, 4th Earl of Chester and dates back to 1226. Built in on a red sandstone craggy outcrop that reaches
500ft high, the castle was to be a major military show piece for the earl -
to complement his other fortifications in nearby A direct descendant of the original Norman barons, he had
very much wanted Beeston to be created as an homage to Saracen castles he had
seen during the 5th Crusade in Perhaps what made it technologically advanced for the
period was that it was designed so its occupants could see off any intruders
or invaders as efficiently and expertly as possible.
The vast D shaped towers and narrow gateway, and a huge
defensive ditch around the inner bailed ensured that the chances of taking
the castle were much reduced. A storm
of arrows could be launched from the D-shaped towers near to the gateway to
repel any would-be insurgents. And the thick walls and a huge outer enclosure
on the lower slopes were also designed to limit the chances of a successful
attack. However, as the building works progressed, the earl
unfortunately died. The castle was then inherited by his son, John, who also
died within a relatively short period of time aswell. It was at this time that the castle passed to the crown
and the title the Earl of Chester was given to the king’s eldest son, and
heir to the throne. Because the castle was unfinished, no living quarters or
main keep or tower were ever built.
And in the 13th and 14th century, it became a military base for
subsequent British kings. By the middle of the 14th century, however, and just
before Richard II came to power, the castle was actually sold to local It wasn’t, however, until the outbreak of the Civil War in
the 17th century that the castle’s fortunes took an irreversible turn for the
worst. Taken by Parliamentarian forces when most of However, the Roundheads were determined that they should
not be easily defeated, and steadfastly besieged the castle for over a year. Eventually, however with starvation imminent, the small
occupying force agreed to surrender in the November of 1645. At the end the Civil, and under General Cromwell’s orders,
great sections of the castle walls were toppled so it could never again be
easily used to prop up any monarch. The castle was just left to stand as a ruin. In the
mid-19th century however, it started to become a tourist attraction in its
own right.
Perhaps Richard II’s treasure will never be found, at this
Castle on the Rock, if indeed it is still there. But perhaps the real treasures to be found
here are the castle itself and its stunning views - which can stretch to at
least eight counties on a clear day. Address: Location: 11m SE of Chester off A49 or A41. Visitors should also note that a small museum can be found
in the renovated nineteenth century gatehouse at the bottom of the castle’s
hill. It charts the history of the
entire site, which was occupied from the Neolithic period onwards. |
