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Tagged: militaria%20museums

  • Reviews

    A Great Gift

    Not all historical sites have connections to military history or indeed, anything to do with battles....

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  • Reviews

    Canadian Juno Beach Centre

    The contribution made to the Allied war effort by Canada is sometimes overlooked or included with...

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  • Reviews

    Crownhill Fort

    John Norris gets the opportunity to attend a special event at Crownhill Fort

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  • Reviews

    Fishguard Fort

    Defensive positions from all periods can be found around the coast of Britain, from Medieval castles...

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  • Reviews

    Fort George

    John Norris explores the history of Fort George in Canada

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  • Reviews

    On The Buses

    Looking at their role during the war, JOHN NORRIS buys a ticket and takes a bus ride…

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  • Reviews

    Pickering Castle

    Across Britain, there are many locations where it is possible to examine the development of military architecture, from Iron Age hill forts to nuclear bunkers of the ‘Cold War’, each with its own group of dedicated enthusiasts. However, the type to which we affix the term 'castle' has a universal attraction that appeals to the general visitor and serious historian alike. You don’t have to be a student of medieval history to visit a castle, as everybody enjoys exploring these foreboding structures to discover their hidden secrets.

    Status symbol

    At the height of their power, these castles were status symbols of wealth and their size declared the power and importance of their owners to all who saw them. After many centuries, during which time they have become local landmarks, they still have the ability to seize the imagination. Some are vast like the impressive Dover Castle in Kent, while others are small, rundown and lay off the main route, like Odiham Castle in Hampshire. Then there are those which lie in between the two states of preservation but still attract visitors, such as Pickering Castle, on the edge of the North Yorkshire town of the same name. It's not a ‘secret castle’ but it has unfortunately become overlooked, perhaps because it hasn't played a part in any war, siege or battle. This has probably led to it being seen as less important than those castles which were involved in events such as the Wars of the Roses. But castles do not have to have been used in war to be fascinating, as visitors to the site discover to their surprise. The first foundations at Pickering Castle were prepared in 1069 and the town was mentioned as being a farming community in the Domesday Book compiled in 1086.

    Architecture

    The castle design took the form of a motte and bailey style, with a wooden structure on a mound, with the lower levels surrounded by a wooden palisade, protected by a substantial dry ditch. The motte, which can be climbed, stills exists, measuring 20m in height and 60m in diameter at the base, with the remnants of the once-impressive ‘keep’ at the top. The Normans used the site as a base from where they mounted a campaign to quell unrest and secure the northern border. Over the centuries, successive kings either invested in keeping the castle’s defences well maintained or neglected them. King Henry II invested by ordering improvements with stone walls built to replace the older defences, with the addition of towers and a new gatehouse. Pickering Castle’s unique distinction of never having been involved with any fighting or siege during its long history, is due to circumstances. The one occasion when its defences came close to being put to the test was during the Second Barons’ War of 1264, when the garrison made preparations to repel an attack. In the end, events elsewhere concluded the conflict. 400 years later it was captured by Parliamentarian forces late in the Civil War, without a shot being fired. It is perhaps the fact that the castle has never had to be defended against an attacking force that gives it an air of mystery. Despite the history of Pickering Castle being non-belligerent, it is far from being a dull and uninteresting place. Over the centuries the castle’s fortunes waned until the late 17th century, when it was finally abandoned, by which time it had been put to many uses, including a prison, hunting lodge and a stud with up to 50 horses. In 1926, efforts were put in place to preserve it and today it is in the care of English Heritage, which looks after the preservation of the site and presents displays, re-enactment events and exhibitions in the buildings lying within the boundary walls of the castle.

    Let's go

    Visitors enter through the main gate which opens out onto a large interior that is ringed by the fabric of the once proud and stout walls. Even today, these still look impressive and it is easy to imagine how they would have looked during the castle’s peak. So, why did it never get attacked?’ Perhaps it was because it was not considered sufficiently important. An alternative reason could be that perhaps it was thought to be too strong. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that the castle’s nonbelligerent status means it has become a prime site where enthusiasts can study medieval military architecture from almost 1000 years ago. There's no doubt that at the peak of its power, the castle would have been formidable and important. The evidence of that can be seen in features remaining on-site and comparing them against other sites, such as the window openings, which were designed to allow archers to shoot either longbow or crossbow weapons. The ramparts of the walls, sadly missing the crenellations (battlements), can be walked to get a ‘defenders’-eye’ impression and understand why the castle was built in its location. Sadly, most of the interior buildings have long gone but evidence can still be traced through their foundations. Here, visitors can take their time to examine the style of architecture, design pattern and building skills that went into the building of the castle. Pickering Castle could have only been built with the authority of King William ‘the Conqueror’ and in granting such permission, the area must have been considered sufficiently important to warrant such defences. There is no denying that lots of money was spent in the construction of the castle and many skilled workers, stonemasons and carpenters among them, were employed in its building. For example, it is recorded how in 1314, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, spent over £340 for some 400 cartloads of stone to be brought to the site for the purposes of improving the residential buildings. That is probably equal to £500,000 in modern terms. Unusual for a castle, visitors can walk the outside perimeter to look up at the walls from the attackers' ‘point of view’, leading to all sorts of questions, such as how would they have withstood being battered by stone-throwing siege engines such as the trebuchet or cannon? During the walk, visitors can also consider the dry ditch or moat as another obstacle an attacking force would have had to breech. Indeed, there is much to think about at this site, which is more important than people give it credit. This quiet place is well worth putting on any list of historic sites to visit. For details of location and opening times, visit the English Heritage website. www.english-heritage.org.uk

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  • Reviews

    Shepton Mallet Prison

    The opening scenes of the film ‘The Dirty Dozen’, where the convicted men are given the...

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  • Reviews

    Siege of Sherbourne Castle

    JOHN NORRIS visits and explores the fascinating and violent history of Dorset’s Sherborne Castle…

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  • Reviews

    The Old Needles

    JOHN NORRIS visits the Isle of Wight to investigate some Victorian defences built in fear of French attack…

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  • Reviews

    ZandVoorde Command Bunker

    During the First World War, the term Western Front was used by the Allies to describe...

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