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Castle Quest- The Lady
Surrounded by the beautiful countryside of the ‘Garden of England’, there are some beautiful castles to discover, all deemed fit for a princess. In fact, some of them were more than worthy as palaces for many of our English queens throughout history, whilst others were no more than grand looking, manor houses. Built like a typical stronghold and looking ready for battle, they were prepared for any unwanted visitors who took a liking to their majestic appearance. 
Starting in East Sussex, we find Bodiam Castle, which looks everything like a medieval castle should be, as well as the most perfect, romantic castle as you could ever imagine. For starters, it stands in a moat, as any true castle should do, with four round towers at each corner, each with its own staircase. The entrance is via a bridge on the north side, leading to a strong gatehouse with iron plated oak portcullis.
It was built however, on slightly false pretences by Sir Edward Dalyngrygge, in 1385. King Richard III had granted Dalyngrygge permission to fortify his manor house, as he was anxious to protect it from the French who were attacking nearby Winchelsea and Rye. Instead of making his house more secure though, he instead built the new castle that we see today. It also appears that Dalyngrygge was more interested in emphasising his wealth and status with the castle as opposed to any threats of attack! In fact the castle saw little, if any action. The walls remain untouched, even after a minor skirmish in 1484 and during the Civil War, the castle was surrendered without a single shot being fired. Only during the 17th Century was any damage caused to the castle as it was left to fall into ruins.
In 1917, it was bought by Lord Curzon, who set about restoring the castle and even wrote a book about it, which was published nine years later when the castle was bequeathed to the National Trust, as part of his will. Inside, the evidence of the state of the damage incurred during the 17th Century is evident, and it sadly becomes just another ruined castle, with only your imagination allowing you to picture how the Great Hall and chapel would have looked in better years. Viewed from the outside however, it is one of the most beautiful castles in the country.
Nearby Herstmonceux, has similarities to Bodiam, in that it was one of the first castles to be made of brick and to this day is the oldest brick building of any note still standing in England. Built by Sir Roger Feinnes during the 1440’s, its brickwork is a pleasing shade of red and also stands in a moat for protection. The gatehouse has an array of murder holes and arrow slits from where any intruders could be fired upon and it certainly looks the part of a powerful defence, though the interior would have been more of a plush palace. A major part of the castle was demolished in 1777 to build nearby Herstmonceux Place and it had a sad history of neglect after it was sold by Feinnes and in thus remained a ruin until it was again restored in 1913. The Royal Observatory was moved here from Greenwich in 1948, because of the increasing atmospheric pollution around the London area. Unfortunately, this soon affected much of southern England and in 1989 the 100 inch, Isaac Newton telescope, housed in a great silver dome was dismantled. The castle now acts as a conference centre and the astronomical buildings are now home to the Herstmonceux Science Centre.
Once into Kent, we find a castle with a very royal history. Standing on the banks of the River Eden is Hever Castle. The oldest part of the castle dates back to 1270 and consisted of a gatehouse and walled bailey. In 1462, it was bought by Sir Geoffrey Bullen, the Lord Mayor of London and it became the childhood home of Anne Bullen, who later changed her name to Boleyn.
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It was in the gardens of the castle that Henry VIII courted Anne, who of course was later famously beheaded on the grounds of adultery. The castle was subsequently confiscated by the Crown and later given to Henry’s 4th wife, Anne of Cleaves. After her death, it was sold to the Waldegrave family and by the end of the 19th Century, after a succession of owners, it fell into disrepair. The castle was eventually saved by the American millionaire William Waldorf Astor, who purchased the castle in 1903 and set about sympathetically restoring it. He filled the interior with replica Tudor plasterwork and wood carving, created the magnificent gardens and also built a Tudor village behind the castle for guests.
This again, is a castle that was never used in defence and is fully open to the public. The Italian Gardens are also worth exploring, looking stunning in summer and lead to the 35-acre lake at the far end. The splashing water maze is a unique feature and great for the kids.
The house high up on the hill at Scotney Castle, was built in 1840 for Edward Hussey and overlooks the remains of the moated castle. This was built in the 14th Century by Roger Ashburnham, who was granted the right to fortify his manor house for the same reasons as Bodiam. It originally had a curtain wall with circular towers, though only the southern one now remains. The new house and gardens were built after advice by William Sawrey Gilpin, nephew of Reverend William Gilpin, who was noted on his writings on the Picturesque, which should resemble the best landscape painting, with plenty of drama and variety. Although it is far from as romantic looking as the old castle, it does provide a stunning view to the wooded dell where the old ruin sits.
Described by Lord Conway as "the loveliest castle in the world", the other one that Kent is proud of, is Leeds Castle. Listed in the Doomsday book, it takes its name from the nearby Saxon village that was Esledes. It was originally a wooden castle built here in 857, but in 1119, during the reign of Henry I, the first part was rebuilt in stone by Robert de Crevecoeur, on the site of the present D shaped Gloriette. One hundred and fifty years later it came into the possession of Edward I and remained a royal home for the next three centuries, providing a residence for six English queens.
Henry VIII used it as a staging post for meetings in France and was responsible for restoring the Gloriette and the many apartments for his queen, Catherine of Aragon, making it a truly magnificent castle to rival the finest chateau’s in France.
It now stands on two islands in a natural moat formed by the River Len. Highlights include Henry VIII’s Banqueting Hall, the largest room in the castle and a unique dog collar museum, which displays what the best dressed dogs of the 1700’s were wearing. The beautiful gardens hold classical concerts and a balloon festival and include an aviary, a delightful grotto and a fantastic maze to get lost in.
Once again, as discovered with most of the other castles, Leeds was never used in any great battle and maybe we should be thankful, for it means that today we can still enjoy these magnificent castles that adorn the countryside of Sussex and Kent.
© Craig Roberts
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