Royal medieval castle (11th to 15th centuries) Berkhamsted

view across inner moat towards bailey walls of berkhamsted castle.



a view of castle motte, moat, middle bank , outer earthworks.

berkhamsted castle well-documented example of 11th-century motte-and-bailey norman castle, historical records dating 12th 15th centuries. castle high-status residence , administrative centre large estates. royal castle s presence affected town. created jobs local population, both in castle , also, example, in large deer park , in vineyard, maintained alongside castle. moreover, 400 years, patronage royal court connected castle helped fuel town s growth, prosperity , sense of importance.

robert, count of mortain s heir william rebelled against , lost castle henry i. in 1155–65, henry ii s favourite, thomas becket, given berkhamsted. becket later alleged have spent on £300 on improvements castle, claim led henry accuse him of corruption , may have contributed becket s downfall. henry ii extensively used castle, making 1 of favourite residences. both king richard , king john gave castle queens, berengaria of navarre , isabella of angoulême, respectively. in king john s reign, geoffrey fitz peter (c. 1162–1213), earl of essex , chief justiciar of england (effectively king s principal minister) held honour , manor of berkhamsted 1199 1212. during time in castle responsible foundation of new parish church of st peter (the size of reflects growing prosperity of town), 2 hospitals, st john baptist , st john evangelist (one of leper hospital), survived until 1516, , lay out of town. in december 1216, castle besieged during civil war, known first barons war, between king john , barons supported prince louis (the future louis viii of france), captured castle on 20 december 1216 after twenty days using siege engines , counterweight trebuchets.

in 1227, henry iii s younger brother, richard, 1st earl of cornwall, given manor , castle, beginning long association of castle earls , later dukes of cornwall. richard redeveloped castle palatial residence , centre administration of earldom of cornwall. richard s coat of arms earl of cornwall, along bezants, included in berkhamsted s coat of arms. richard s wife, sanchia of provence, died in castle in 1260. richard succeeded son, edmund, 2nd earl of cornwall, founded ashridge priory, college of monastic order of bonhommes, in 1283. in 1300, after edmund died, edward - aka longshanks took castle , subsequently granted second queen, margaret of france. in 1309, edward , margaret s son, edward ii, granted berkhamsted favourite, piers gaveston; afterwards in 1317, castle given edward ii s queen, isabella of france.

the castle s bailey viewed norman motte. (enlarged: train can seen passing close castle, town south beyond).

edward iii further developed castle , gave son, edward, black prince, expanded hunting grounds. tradition, berkhamsted castle still belongs eldest son of reigning english monarch, via duchy of cornwall. castle used hold royal prisoners, including john ii of france. in 1361, hero of berkhamsted , edward, black prince, , joan, maid of kent, spent honeymoon in berkhamsted. black prince supported @ battle of crecy local bowmen - everard halsey, john wood, stephen of champneys, robert whittingham, edward le bourne, richard of gaddesden , henry of berkhamsted (who rewarded 2d day , appointed porter of berkhamsted castle after saved prince s baggage @ battle of poitiers). richard ii inherited berkhamsted castle in 1377 , gave favourites, robert de vere , john holland. in 1400, henry iv lived in castle after deposed richard, , used castle imprison others attempting obtain throne. during time, geoffrey chaucer, later famous writing canterbury tales, oversaw renovation work on castle in role clerk of works @ berkhamsted castle , other royal properties. unknown how time spent @ berkhamsted, knew john of gaddesden, lived in nearby little gaddesden , model doctor of phisick in canterbury tales. henry v , henry vi owned castle, latter making use of until overthrown in 1461. in 1469, edward iv gave castle mother, cecily neville, duchess of york, last person live in castle.

in 1833, castle first building receive statutory protection in united kingdom. in 1834, construction of railway embankment demolished castle s gatehouse , adjacent earthworks. since 1930s, castle ruins have been managed english heritage, under guardianship of secretary of state national heritage, , freely open public.

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