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Kenilworth Castle ~ Kenilworth, Warwickshire (EH) Kenilworth Castle has had a long and illustrious history. The site was granted to Geoffrey de Clinton by Henry I in the early twelfth century, and the original form was probably that of motte and bailey, The present keep occupies the site of the original mound. Geoffrey divided the land granted to him into two, one for his castle and hunting grounds, and one endowed for an Augustinian priory. The site of the priory is now a public park known as Abbey Fields. The river running through it was used to create the extensive Mere around the castle, and although now dry, the area is prone to flooding.
During the rebellion of 1173-74, Kenilworth was garrisoned by the Crown, and subsequently retained in exchange for lands in Buckinghamshire. Thus Kenilworth became a royal property, and was much repaired and improved, with the now stone Keep dominating the site. In Magna Carta, it was important enough to be one of the four castles that the barons required to be delivered from the king as sureties. Henry III granted the castle to Simon de Montfort in 1253, and it was further fortified on the west side of the outer curtain wall, and the Water Tower was built. When he was killed at the battle of Evesham in 1265, the castle became a rallying point for rebels against the Crown, and the King came personally to direct siege operations. Although the defensives held very well, the siege came to a negotiated end after the shortage of food became critical. Henry then gave the castle to his younger son, Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster. His son, Thomas, built the chapel in the East Court, the foundations of which are still visible.
After passing to and from the Crown once more, the castle came through marriage to the famous John of Gaunt. The Great Hall bears his name, and became one of the most splendid in the country. The remains of tracery round the huge gothic windows, and the carving on the first floor doorway give some idea of the level of luxury now attainable by one of the richest men in the kingdom. John of Gaunt’s grandson, Henry V, undertook extensive reclamation work on the north side of the mere, and the land became recreational gardens, rather than defences. Henry VIII also carried out rebuilding and improvements to Kenilworth during his reign. In 1553, the castle was granted to John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. After his execution, it was re-granted to his son, Robert Dudley, favourite of Queen Elizabeth. The final great building programme on the site was carried out by Dudley, who commissioned a whole new suite of apartments to be ready for the Queen’s visits. These were extremely lavish occasions, with poets greeting her as she arrived, fireworks and music, dancing and hunting.
After Dudley’s death, there was a dispute as to the legitimacy of ownership, and Kenilworth once more passed to the Crown. During the Civil War, Charles I withdrew his garrison and Parliament troops occupied the castle. The defensive capacity of the castle was destroyed shortly after 1656, with the Tiltyard being breached to empty the Mere, and the north wall of the Keep demolished. Kenilworth acquired a romantic reputation in later years partly due to the eponymous novel by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1821. On warm evenings when the low sun hits the red sandstone, the castle has an atmosphere of serenity and peacefulness at odds with its chequered history of siege, defence and grand entertainment. On bonfire night the castle is lit up by a huge bonfire and spectacular fireworks. A large crowd converges on the ground that was once the Mere, and the castle relives the days of its Elizabethan visits. Check out another site covering Kenilworth Castle: History of Kenilworth |
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Back to the Home Page of the UK Heritage collection. This information has been researched and published here by: Jonathan & Clare |
