Traveling to the far corners of the world is exciting and a lot of fun if you know where you really want to go and have made your mind up, but what if you have run out ideas where you want to spend your vacation. A simple yet interesting vacation idea is to take your next vacation to the visit the great castles of England.
While it seems like quite a boring way to spend a vacation but in fact it is very interesting, and not only for the history enthusiasts. While history plays a special part in the purpose of visiting the English Castles, there are some very good purposes to take yourself and go all the way to England to around and look at English castles. The purpose most people take vacation is to rest their minds and bodies, to have fun and to take a gentle pace away from the grind of everyday life. Visiting English Castles and other such historical sites provides all of these requirements and a whole lot more.
Taking an English Vacation to the castles of England allows you relax while leisurely strolling about the castle area, enjoy the beauty, and the naturally green views of the British countryside, get much needed rest and fresh air from the exotic gardens and woods that usually take the back drop of English castles, and even enjoy treating yourself in a round of golf at nearby golf clubs if this interests you. At night you would just be a few steps away from the typical English pub where you could have a good old English dinner and perhaps a pint of English bitter or ale.
So now that you have decided that a vacation to visit the English Castleswould be perfect for you, the next step is to have a look at the list of English Castles that might be of interest to you. There are so many castles in England that it is highly unlikely that you will be able to see all of them, so it would be best to research on the ones that think would be the most ideal sites for you to see. Not everyone has the same tastes and wants, so it is best if you are able to have a look at what castles of England should be on your list to visit. There are many but some of the most popular include:
Dover Castle
One of England’s most important fortress , Dover castle has played important roles in the history of England from the middle ages and even before that in ancient times all the way up to World War II, serving it’s country for a great number purposes and has been the castle that has watched England’s coastal borders with France ever since it was built.
Dover Castle rising high above the town and harbor, crowning a hill, which ends at the White Cliffs. This site was first fortified in the Iron Age and the medieval castle fills the area defined by the ancient hill fort - thirty-five acres. The castle, therefore, is of extraordinary size and exceptional strength.
Dartmouth Castle
Dartmouth, on the magnificent estuary of the River Dart, was a flourishing port from the twelfth century. When the Hundred Year War made legitimate trading difficult, the inhabitants turned to piracy to boost their income. Their unfortunate targets were the ports across the Channel. In 1404, the Bretons land in force and attempted to sack the town in revenge, but the locals drove them off with great loss to themselves. According to French sources a second attempt was more successful. Dartmouth Castle is actually a mile southeast of the town, at a point where the estuary narrows.
Tower of London
No vacation to England would be complete without a visit to this old English fortress full of history and tales, a must to see when visiting the castles of England. Located in the center of London, this castle has been the center of England and home to many of its royalty since the Norman conquest of England, and has also played its role as the place where many of England’s famous villains have been executed
Towering alongside the River Thames, this English castle has been the both a home fortress and a prison. A home to the Norman kings since William the Conqueror down to his successors and a prison to England’s enemies, both countrymen and foreigners alike, from from Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, who escaped in 1101, to Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s deputy, in the 20th century. No castle in England other than perhaps Dover castle has been as important to the English people.
Leeds Castle
One of the most unique Castles of England, Leeds Castle rises serenely from the waters of its surrounding lake. The lake is an artificial one created by damming the River Len. The castle was built in 1139 because, in that year, King Stephen wrested it from Matilda’s supporters.
The two islands on which suggest a motte and bailey origin, and the lake itself existed by 1272. In terms of masonry, however, the castle is essentially the work of Edward I, with additions by Henry VIII and much nineteenth century beautification. Around the entrance, the lake decreases to a narrow moat.
For the visitors , the addition of a golf course and other amenities makes it an ideal English castle to visit, not to mention the wonderful countryside typical of any visit to England makes the tour of this magnificent English castle complete.
Conclusion
There are many other castles of England that you can visit when taking your vacation to England to see English castles, and it would be best if you took a little time and looked into what these castles have to offer in terms of history, features and generally whether a visit to any of them would be something that would really like. The choices are plentiful so there will not be any problems trying to find English castles that would be to your liking.
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment