 Kenilworth Castle
The early castle at Kenilworth consisted of a massive Norman tower, rectangular
in shape and three storeys high. Once defended by a wide moat, the shell
of this great red sandstone tower, open to the sky, remains an imposing
sight. Henry II was certainly impressed by what he saw, and took Kenilworth
Castle into royal possession. During three successive reigns, Kenilworth Castle
was extensively altered and enlarged. In the 14th century
John of Gaunt transformed the castle from a fortress to a grand palace,
and built a range of private apartments overlooking the vast lake. The
magnificent banqueting hall with a hammer-beam roof was reputed to be
almost as important as Westminster Hall at the time.
When Robert Dudley, the Earl
of Leicester, took possession of Kenilworth Castle in the 1560s, he
instigated further building and modernisation work, and the creation
of some formal pleasure gardens. Satisfied with the construction of
his impressive new gatehouse at the northern boundary, and his luxurious
suite of Tudor apartments (Leicester's Building), Dudley's castle was
now 'fit for a Queen'. And that was exactly his intention. His good
friend, Queen Elizabeth I, was treated on several occasions to Dudley's
stylish hospitality, and none more notable than that in 1575. For nearly
three weeks she was entertained with pageants, music, dancing, fireworks,
hunting and feasting.
At the death of Robert Dudley,
Kenilworth Castle returned to Crown possession. Throughout the Civil War it
changed from Royalist to Parliamentarian hands on two occasions, before
being partially demolished by Parliamentary troops. By 1650 it was rendered
untenable, the huge defensive lake was drained, and the gatehouse was
converted to residential accommodation. With the Monarchy restored,
Kenilworth Castle passed to the Villiers family until, in 1938, Lord
Kenilworth placed his property in the care of English Heritage.
Immortalised, and romanticised,
by Sir Walter Scott in his early 19th century novel, Kenilworth Castle
is probably one of the finest ruined castles to be seen in Britain today.
Dramatically portrayed amidst the gentle rolling countryside of Warwickshire,
Kenilworth Castle is a memorable landmark to the powerful Normans, and
a fitting memorial to the power games of Elizabethan England. The inner
court contains a range of ruinous buildings dating from the 12th
to the 16th century, including Leicester's Building. Remaining
substantially intact are the great Tudor gatehouse and stabling block
from Robert Dudley's time located in the outer court. From a 17th
century plan, the Tudor gardens have been reconstructed in the form
of a parterre. |
