Castles and fortified houses can be found all over Britain.  They were built either to keep enemies out or to keep people in!

Many have stood the test of time, sieges, battles etc. and some are still used today, one of the best examples being Dover Castle in Kent. William the Conqueror strengthened the defenses that King Harold had built and tunnels were dug under the castle. In World War II these tunnels, some dating from 1797 were used as the headquarters from which the Dunkirk evacuation was masterminded.

A string of castles were built by Henry VIII stretching from Cornwall to Kent.  Portland Castle in Dorset, Pendennis Castle and St. Mawes Castle in Cornwall, Calshot Castle in Hampshire, Deal Castle and Walmer Castle in Kent are some of the finest.

There are many dating from an earlier era - Christchurch Castle in Dorset was built in the 12th century and in Suffolk, Framlingham Castle, also built in the 12th century, became a prison in Elizabethan times.

Two in Devon are worth a visit - Berry Pomeroy Castle (which is reputed to be haunted) and Totnes which is a fine example of Norman fortifications. Carisbrooke Castle in the Isle of Wight held Charles I as a prisoner in 1647 - 8.  Further north Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire was built on the site of a Norman Castle and dominates the surrounding countryside.

Warwickshire has Kenilworth Castle, one of the largest castle ruins in England. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth I favorite lived here, and this castle is one of the few that can actually claim that Queen Elizabeth SLEPT HERE!

Yorkshire has many castles, and one of the oldest is Richmond Castle built by William the Conqueror in North Yorkshire.  Conisborough Castle was built in the 12th century in South Yorkshire and the city of York has the dramatic Clifford's Tower in the center of the city, built in 1069-70.

Further north still, Cumbria has Carlisle Castle built by William II still guarding the western end of the Anglo-Scottish border as it has done for over 9 centuries. Although Hadrian's Wall cannot be considered a castle as such, it served the same purpose - keeping out the enemy!  Hadrian's Wall was built by the Romans in AD122 - 232 and stretched 73 miles, coast to coast.

The Isle of Man has the most complete medieval castle in Britain, Castle Rushen. The Viking King Magnus died here in 1265.

There are many other castles in every corner of the kingdom, but alas many have been reduced to mere ruins as sieges, battles and bombardments over several hundreds of years have taken their toll.