Castle Rising is a magnificent and largely intact, twelfth century building in extensive earthworks and well worth a visit. I always find it a strange layout as the castle is on an inverse motte, sunk down behind the ditch and rampart, I guess due to a thousand years of erosion.
Visiting Castle Rising
The castle is a privately owned site but co administered with English Heritage and is well sign posted and has a good sized car park. Facilities are limited to a gift shop and toilets but there is a tea room a couple of minutes walk away and the village is pleasant to look around.
My Experience
Although most of the building is not roofed it is still fascinating to walk around and look at the layout and the quality of the decorations. There is some fabulously ornate stonework and you can walk along the top of the ramparts to view the setting of the castle and its defences.
Castle Rising Photo Gallery
History
Castle Rising Castle was built around 1140 by William de Albini. He had married Adeliza of Louvain, widow of Henry I, and had acquired significant lands as part of the union. At Castle Rising he started construction of a large Keep as a demonstration of his enhanced wealth and power. The structure was not only one of the largest surviving examples in the UK but was also highly ornate – it is possible that de Albini was attempting to imitate the large Keep at Norwich Castle. It was built within an oval inner bailey surrounded by earthworks which initially were lower than those visible today enabling the structure, which would also have been white-washed for effect, to be visible for miles around. Two further enclosures, outer baileys, were built to the east and west with both protected by further earthworks. A grid-plan settlement was laid out to the north of the castle and a park was enclosed to the south.
At some point during the late twelfth or early thirteen centuries the earthworks surrounding the castle were significantly enhanced. The reason for this is unknown although it was obviously in response to some threat. The 1173/4 rebellion by Hugh Bigod, Earl of Norfolk has been cited as the most likely reason especially given his rivalry with de Albini. The fact that an eleventh century ecclesiastical building was buried into the rampart during the upgrades suggests a degree of urgency in construction whilst a nearby ringwork at Keeper’s Wood, which is presumed to be a siege-castle, may represent military action taken against Castle Rising around this time.
In 1332 Queen Isabella, former wife to Edward II, was imprisoned at Castle Rising by her son, Edward III. Isabella had plotted with Roger Mortimer, Earl of March to depose her husband. Edward II was forced to abdicate and was imprisoned (and perhaps murdered) at Berkeley Castle. Mortimer and Isabella had hoped to rule through her son, Edward III, but the new king was not prepared to be a puppet. In 1330, whilst with Mortimer was staying at Nottingham Castle, a number of nobles loyal to the new King infiltrated the tunnel system under that castle and captured the Earl. He was taken to the Tower of London where he was imprisoned and was later executed at Tyburn. Queen Isabella, for her part in the power-struggle, was initially held at Berkhamsted Castle but then moved to her own Castle Rising Castle where she was effectively imprisoned, albeit in considerable luxury and with extensive freedoms. She remained a prisoner at the castle until 1358 when, shortly before her death, she joined a nunnery.
Upon Isabella’s death in 1358 the castle passed to Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince) who spent significant sums on maintaining the property. Thereafter it fell into disuse and quickly became ruin. Whilst it was granted by Henry VIII to the Howard family in 1544, it was never re-occupied.
References
The castle site with guide for visiting is here.
The history above is copied from the excellent castles forts battles site here.