From tiny towers like Dalton Castle in Cumbria, to Windsor, the biggest castle in the country, from the Iron Age fort of Castell Henllys in Pembrokeshire to Lethendy Tower in Scotland, the last true fortified house built in Britain, this country has a huge variety of historic castles.
The four capitals each have fortifications with their own story: Cardiff Castle haunted by the Marquess of Bute who restored it in the 19th century; The Tower of London the scene of thousands of executions; Edinburgh with its one o’clock gun and Stone of Destiny; Belfast’s which nearly ruined the Donegalls when it was rebuilt in 1870.
Castles are a painless way to teach kids history: Dover Castle makes a great stop off when crossing the channel, a fortified introduction to British history from Roman times to WWII.
These days, though, many of Britain’s castles show some imagination beyond retelling history. Alnwick in Northumberland – Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films – amuses guests with medieval games, dressing up, and falconry. Ludlow Castle, a magnificent reminder of how unsettled the marches once were, is the venue for plays and concerts during that town’s festival. Traquair Castle, the oldest inhabited house in Scotland, revived its brewhouse some time ago and produces fantastic beers. Bamburgh north of Newcastle has an aviation museum - and if the kids are bored the beach is only yards away.
But perhaps it is just the look of the things that fascinates us. Framlingham Castle in Suffolk with its 12 towers, a rival for the chateaux of the Loire; Scotland’s romantic Eilean Donan Castle near Skye proving that small can be utterly beautiful; and the marvellously symmetrical Beaumaris on Anglesey.
A castle makes a great focus for a day out, and leaves memories for a lifetime.
More British Institutions
Afternoon Tea
Allotments
April Fools Day
Big Ben
Binge Drinking
Black Cabs
Bonfire Night
British Sense of Humour
Brown Windsor Soup
Burns Night
Cadburys
Castles
Changing the Guard
City of London
Coronation Street
Cowes Week
Cricket
Crufts
Dad’s Army
E-Type Jag
Eccentricity
English Country Garden
Fish and Chips
Fish Fingers
Fox Hunting
Full English Breakfast
Gin and Tonic
Glastonbury
Glorious Goodwood
Grand National
Grouse Shooting
Harrods
Highland Games
Hogmanay
James Bond
John Bull
King Arthur
Land Rover
Lloyds of London
London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally
Marks and Spencer
Monty Python
Morecambe and Wise
Old School Tie
Oxbridge
Panto
Picnics
Pimms
Point-to-Point
Punch and Judy
Queueing
Real Ale
Red Arrows
Red Telephone Boxes
Remembrance Poppies
Robin Hood
Rolls Royce
Royal Ascot
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Savile Row Suits
School Discos
School Sports Day
Seaside Piers
Speakers’ Corner
Stag Nights
Stiff Upper Lip
Strawberries and Cream
Street Markets
Summer Festivals
Sunday Roasts
The Archers
The BBC
The Beano
The Boat Race
The Brass Band
The British Bobby
The Bulldog
The Church of England
The Cup Final
The Curry House
The English Rose
The Garden Shed
The Honours System
The Kilt
The Last Night at the Proms
The London Bus
The Mini
The National Trust
The NHS
The Oak
The Pub
The Queen’s Speech
The Rolling Stones
The Royal Christmas Message
The Spitfire
The V Sign
The Village Fete
The Weather
Travelling Fairs
Trooping the Colour
Village Greens
Wedgwood
Wellington Boots
Wimbledon
Wine Gums
Yeomen of the Guard
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