A unique and fascinating series of short stories taking place over five different eras in a English castles past.

This original and pioneering book examines the role of the castle in the Norman conquest of England and in the subsequent administration of the country. The castle is seen primarily as an instrument of peaceful administration which rarely had a garrison and was more often where the sheriff kept his files and employed his secretariat. In most cases the military significance of the castle was minimal, and only a very few ever saw military action. For the first time, the medieval castle in England is seen in a new light which will attract the general reader of history and archaeology as much as the specialist in economic and social history.

The only investigation ever undertaken into the building of the first pre-Conquest Norman castle in England

Medieval castles have traditionally been examined as feats of military engineering & tools of feudal control. This book presents a different perspective, by exploring the castle as a cultural reflection of the society that produced it, seen through art & literature.

This fascinating study of medieval warfare examines the vital role of castles during the English civil wars of the 15th century. The Wars of the Roses comprise one of the most fascinating periods in medieval history. Much has been written about the leading personalities, bitter dynastic rivalries, political intrigues, and the rapid change of fortune on the battlefields of England and Wales. However, there is one aspect that has been often overlooked, the role of castles in the conflict. Dan Spencer’s original study traces the use of castles from the outbreak of civil war in the 1450s during the reign of Henry VI to the triumph of Henry VII some thirty years later. Using a wide range of narrative, architectural, financial, and administrative sources, Spencer sheds new light on the place of castles within the conflict, demonstrating their importance as strategic and logistical centers, bases for marshaling troops, and as fortresses.

'Castle' is a wide-ranging and original history of some of the most magnificent buildings in Britain. It explores many of the country's most famous and best-loved castles, as well as some little-known national treasures.

"Text and detailed drawings follow the planning and construction of a "typical" castle and adjoining town in thirteenth-century Wales."--Title page verso.

This paperback edition of a book first published in hardback in 2002 is a fascinating and provocative study which looks at castles in a new light, using the theories and methods of landscape studies.

"As England's largest castle and premier royal residence, Windsor Castle is of outstanding importance: historically, architecturally, artistically and in the life of the nation. This authoritative history of the Castle, the first to be published in 100 years, draws upon new research and primary sources to present a general account of Windsor Castle and its immediate environs from around AD700 to the present day, setting this iconic building against the background of wider social, political and cultural events in the life of the monarchy and the nation. Not only is the book richly illustrated with historical drawings, watercolours and photographs from the Royal Collection and elsewhere, it also includes newly commissioned photography and 3D reconstructions of the Castle at key points in its development, showing how this historic site has changed and evolved over 13 centuries."--

The very first compendium of Britain's most interesting diminutive castles, written in an amusing, accessible style. Praised by BBC Countryfile Magazine for writing "intelligently and amusingly, with evident excitement and imagination," Dixe Wills unleashes his trademark style on the tiniest castles in Britain. Beautifully presented in full color throughout, the book uncovers more than 60 of the country's loveliest and most compelling castles. No crumbling ruins are included here--only only relatively complete castles with enough features intact to explore and enjoy are listed, although all are delightfully diminutive. From Henry VIII's beautifully preserved St Mawes Castle in Cornwall to Scalloway Castle in Shetland, where it is said the blood and hair of the cruel Earl Patrick's tenants were used in the mortar, many of these tiny fortresses occupy a unique place in history.