Favourite English Castles - What's yours ?
Michael W Cook
SHM readers top five castles in England.
I'll get the ball rolling, you don't have to say why, just list them if
you'd rather.
After some careful thought, here's mine.
1. Castle Rising Castle - Norfolk.
Can't explain it really, I just adored the place, the links to Isabella and
the Black Prince, the ornate decoration on the keep - it was also the castle
that spurred me on to start my own web site and became my first feature.
2. Bolton Castle - Yorkshire.
The castle I'd like to own - if it wasn't in bleak, wind swept Wensleydale.
3. The White Tower - London.
Forget all the commercial tat, this place was, and always will be in the
Premier League of castles anywhere in the world.
4. Arundel Castle - West Sussex.
Despite the gothic reconstruction by the Victorians, it has a wonderful
motte and stone keep, it also has one of the earliest and finest medieval
gatehouses in the country - Arundel looks strong, and has a full pedigree to
match.
5. Hedingham Castle - Essex.
Billed as one of the best preserved medieval keeps in Europe, it won't
disappoint you. It also boasts the largest Norman arch in England. This
castle has a real feel to it and transports you back in time - it looks and
feels like the Lord had only recently left.
--
There you go, not an easy task, I missed out Bodiam, Rochester and others
that are very dear to me, however, one had to draw a line.
Let's hear yours :-)
Cheers
Michael
Michael W Cook
mwc...@crusader-productions.com
Castles Abbeys and Medieval Buildings
http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk
--
erilar
them as I can those in Germany. I've certainly seen lots of pictures of
#3, of course. And the castles built by that extremely nasty Ed #1 are
very impressive.
--
Mary Loomer Oliver(aka erilar)
Erilar's Cave Annex:
http://www.airstreamcomm.net/~erilarlo
Martin Reboul
Michael W Cook wrote..
Of the ones I have visited...
1) Warwick. Bit of everything there from all ages, the medieval parts are
superb esp. the Clifford Tower, nice gardens and exhibitions - a little
'touristy' but not badly so. And you can get a drink in the place (not that
it has anything to do with it!). A super and very atmospheric dungeon too
(don't miss the oubliette - yuk!)
2) Norwich. Dizzying ramparts and grim cellars (so grim that even the
Normans only used them as a grain store - the Georgians however thought they
would make a good prison). Intriguing spiral staircases that go 'the wrong
way round', much built in Norman times, very heavy duty.
3) The Tower of London. A Kings ransom to get in, but packed with goodies
and more history than anyone can manage in a single visit, inc. the chapel
of St Peter Ad Vincula, where so many headless bodies of the famous are
interred (and one of the most heavily haunted spots in Britain). Good
staircases, under which surprising things have been found, such as (cont
P98)
4) Castleton (Peak District). Just about the most impregnable, unassailable
looking fortress I've ever seen. Completely ruined, but in fairly good shape
as it is 'in the wrong place' and was never much of a threat to anyone after
the late 14th C. and abandoned. Wonderful location and magnificent scenery -
photographers dream Michael!
5) Berkley. Grim history and magnificent stuff on display, went last year.
Not quite so imposing as a castle, but a lovely place in a lovely spot and
well worth a visit. Bleak history of course, but with very pleasant,
sensitive guides who don't tell how poor old EdII met his death unless
specifically asked...
There are plenty of 'also rans' of course, such as Carnaervon (magnificent),
York (more of a walled city than a 'castle' really) and Bungay, funny little
ruin, where you can still see the mines dug in the reign of King Stephen.
They still haven't fallen in, which either says much for the architect or
little for the miners (the place surrendered before they finished).
There are also a few I haven't yet seen, which may well displace Berkley and
Castleton when I do, i.e., Bamburgh and Middleham (believe it or not, no, I
haven't yet!), and I've always liked the look of Glamis (yet have not even
set foot in Scotland to date).
Most disappointing castle was Nottingham - most medieval stuff long gone.
Cheers
Martin
Martin Reboul
"Martin Reboul" <mar...@reboul1471.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:baau63$4dk$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk...
Whoops! Forgot Harlech - visited as a kid - incredibly impressive!
Simon Pugh
<mar...@reboul1471.freeserve.co.uk> writes
<snip>
>Whoops! Forgot Harlech - visited as a kid - incredibly impressive!
>
>
I'm not really a caste buff and haven't visited any since I was a child,
- must put that right some time soon.
But what is about castles, there is something romantic about them that
stirs the blood. Medieval Cathedrals etc, though magnificent don't seem
to have the same resonance?
--
Simon Pugh
Remove X for email
Michael W Cook
at erila...@SPAMchibardun.net.invalid wrote on 19/5/03 4:26 pm:
> I'm afraid I've only seen pictures of English castles, so I can't judge
> them as I can those in Germany. I've certainly seen lots of pictures of
> #3, of course. And the castles built by that extremely nasty Ed #1 are
> very impressive.
Let's have your German ones then.
In fact, let's have your favs anywhere.
MWC
Michael W Cook
mar...@reboul1471.freeserve.co.uk wrote on 19/5/03 4:46 pm:
> Of the ones I have visited...
>
> 1) Warwick. Bit of everything there from all ages, the medieval parts are
> superb esp. the Clifford Tower, nice gardens and exhibitions - a little
> 'touristy' but not badly so. And you can get a drink in the place (not that
> it has anything to do with it!). A super and very atmospheric dungeon too
> (don't miss the oubliette - yuk!)
I agree, superb dungeon, otherwise it gets my worst ever castle visited tag.
From the wax works figures to the smelly touchy stuff, commercial nonsense.
Shame really, as it's a cracking castle.
> 2) Norwich. Dizzying ramparts and grim cellars (so grim that even the
> Normans only used them as a grain store - the Georgians however thought they
> would make a good prison). Intriguing spiral staircases that go 'the wrong
> way round', much built in Norman times, very heavy duty.
On my list next time I'm in Norfolk.
> 3) The Tower of London. A Kings ransom to get in, but packed with goodies
> and more history than anyone can manage in a single visit, inc. the chapel
> of St Peter Ad Vincula, where so many headless bodies of the famous are
> interred (and one of the most heavily haunted spots in Britain). Good
> staircases, under which surprising things have been found, such as (cont
> P98)
My Number three also.
> 4) Castleton (Peak District). Just about the most impregnable, unassailable
> looking fortress I've ever seen. Completely ruined, but in fairly good shape
> as it is 'in the wrong place' and was never much of a threat to anyone after
> the late 14th C. and abandoned. Wonderful location and magnificent scenery -
> photographers dream Michael!
I'll make a visit next time I'm 'Up Norff'.
> 5) Berkley. Grim history and magnificent stuff on display, went last year.
> Not quite so imposing as a castle, but a lovely place in a lovely spot and
> well worth a visit. Bleak history of course, but with very pleasant,
> sensitive guides who don't tell how poor old EdII met his death unless
> specifically asked...
Another to visit.
> There are plenty of 'also rans' of course, such as Carnaervon (magnificent),
> York (more of a walled city than a 'castle' really) and Bungay, funny little
> ruin, where you can still see the mines dug in the reign of King Stephen.
> They still haven't fallen in, which either says much for the architect or
> little for the miners (the place surrendered before they finished).
>
> There are also a few I haven't yet seen, which may well displace Berkley and
> Castleton when I do, i.e., Bamburgh and Middleham (believe it or not, no, I
> haven't yet!), and I've always liked the look of Glamis (yet have not even
> set foot in Scotland to date).
I was most disappointed with Middleham, and thought it looked far more
impressive in the pictures I'd seen. Huge keep, but just walls and rubble.
I found the old motte on the hill more interesting.
If you do ever go that way though, make the extra trip another few miles
west and see Bolton Castle, the residence of Richard le Scrope 1st Lord
Scrope of Bolton. Scrope was arguably one of the most honourable and honest
men of his age - his military career and service to his country is second to
none.
> Most disappointing castle was Nottingham - most medieval stuff long gone.
Anyone ever been to Tamworth Castle ?
Grethe Bachmann
"Michael W Cook" <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> skrev i en meddelelse
news:BAEDC852.3011%mwc...@crusader-productions.com...
Michael:
Allow me to choose a few English castles, although I haven't
been there.
You've got a special feeling in your heart about the castles in
your own country of course - and I have a similar feeling about
the castles in Denmark. But the atmosphere in a photo is able
to tell you something though , and I should like to choose two
castles from your beautiful photo-collection:
1) Hastings Castle ( I simply love the first photo in the Hastings-
collection, this old castle is so loaded with medieval athmosphere
lying there by the sea in the sunset.)
2) Arundel Castle.
Do you have any plans of going to Cornwall and take some photos
of Tintagel Castle, Michael? Or is there nothing to be seen there?
Cheers
Grethe
William Black
"Michael W Cook" <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> wrote in message
news:BAEDC852.3011%mwc...@crusader-productions.com...
> After all this talk on castles, lets go a step further and make a list of
> SHM readers top five castles in England.
Aydon in the Tyne Valley, a real medieval fortified manor house, and a
jewel.
Skipsea in East Yorkshire, home of Drogo, Lord of Holderness, know as
'The Vile' (the best medieval name ever). No castle, but the best
preserved mound and dyke I've ever seen.
Warkworth, a beautiful Victorian confection with Norman features rebuilt
over Gothic ones and a tower especially built for the Nazgul to perch on.
Dover, for that wonderful gun, The Queens Pocket Pistol.
Harlech, for the sheer terror inducing scale of the thing, the man who had
that built wasn't someone to mess with.
--
William Black
------------------
On time, on budget, or works;
Pick any two from three
Michael W Cook
grethe....@mail.tele.dk wrote on 19/5/03 7:49 pm:
> Michael:
> Allow me to choose a few English castles, although I haven't
> been there.
> You've got a special feeling in your heart about the castles in
> your own country of course - and I have a similar feeling about
> the castles in Denmark. But the atmosphere in a photo is able
> to tell you something though , and I should like to choose two
> castles from your beautiful photo-collection:
>
> 1) Hastings Castle ( I simply love the first photo in the Hastings-
> collection, this old castle is so loaded with medieval athmosphere
> lying there by the sea in the sunset.)
I'm sorry to say that if you are ever likely to visit Hastings and the
castle, I feel you will be very disappointed. There is really very little to
see as most of the castle has fallen into the sea below.
> 2) Arundel Castle.
>
> Do you have any plans of going to Cornwall and take some photos
> of Tintagel Castle, Michael? Or is there nothing to be seen there?
My father spent his childhood in Tintagel and I have been there too many
times to count. Unfortunately I have never taken any pictures of it and
nowadays it is rather spoilt with all the King Arthur stuff - Excaliburgers
being one of them :-(
No, there isn't very much to see but a few walls.
Regards
Sophia
> "Michael W Cook" <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> wrote in message
> news:BAEDC852.3011%mwc...@crusader-productions.com...
>
>>After all this talk on castles, lets go a step further and make a list of
>>SHM readers top five castles in England.
>
>
> Skipsea in East Yorkshire, home of Drogo, Lord of Holderness, know as
> 'The Vile' (the best medieval name ever). No castle, but the best
> preserved mound and dyke I've ever seen.
What did he do to earn that name?
Sophia
>
>
Bryn Fraser
<sop...@arxana.demon.co.uk> writes
Bit of a cheapskate? Scrimped on the stonework?
Bodiam is a proper castle... No sissy plumbing there, straight in the
moat...
>
>>
>
>
--
Bryn Fraser
The sound of distant gunfire is the government blowing its toes off...
Doug McDonald
the very most recent having a ... uh ... very commercial castle
to offer: http://www.ballindallochcastle.co.uk .... offering
special experiences for golfers and fisherpeople.
(But they do exaggerate the "same family for the whole time"
bit, forgetting that embarressing backruptcy about 1700. I come
from the earlier line.)
I have no idea where this stands among the Scottish places.
Doug McDonald
Kathy McIntosh
Cook <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> writes
>After all this talk on castles, lets go a step further and make a list of
>SHM readers top five castles in England.
>
>I'll get the ball rolling, you don't have to say why, just list them if
>you'd rather.
>
>Billed as one of the best preserved medieval keeps in Europe, it won't
>disappoint you. It also boasts the largest Norman arch in England. This
>castle has a real feel to it and transports you back in time - it looks and
>feels like the Lord had only recently left.
>--
>
a private tour of the castle with the local history soc. It was a very
informative tour on a lovely summer's evening.
Corfe. I used to live near there as well :-} Spent lots of years doing
Y6 residential trips at Swanage, and teaching them some of the history
of Corfe.
You said England, but I'd like to include Conwy. Mainly because I spent
a lot of time at Uni wandering around it, and the town walls. In fact,
did that the night before one of my Finals!
--
Kathy McIntosh
C A Candy
William Black <black_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Warkworth, a beautiful Victorian confection with Norman features rebuilt
>over Gothic ones and a tower especially built for the Nazgul to perch on.
William, are you thinking Alnwick here? I didn't think Warkworth had all
that much Victorian work done to it.
I have portfolios of Warkworth, Alnwick, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne (Tudor
period) at home, just haven't had time to scan them. Bamburgh is probably
the best for spectacular views, though Lindisfarne has some amazing ones
as well.
Cheers,
Chris
------------------
Christopher Candy
Department of History
University of Durham
43 North Bailey
Durham DH1 3EX
United Kingdom
+44 191 374 2005
C.A....@durham.ac.uk
Peter Gray
field ),and whilst there had a guided tour conducted by Baroness Rose, the
owner. This was a great experience, a once in a lifetime thing.
Peter Gray
"C A Candy" <c.a....@durham.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:babl8r$q...@altair.dur.ac.uk...
David Brewer
>
> In article <babb5c$1ej$5...@sparta.btinternet.com>,
> William Black <black_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Warkworth, a beautiful Victorian confection with Norman features rebuilt
> >over Gothic ones and a tower especially built for the Nazgul to perch on.
>
> William, are you thinking Alnwick here? I didn't think Warkworth had all
> that much Victorian work done to it.
Oh, he means Warkworth all right.
I recall going up to Warkworth one evening for a reenactment
weekend, and there was Bill Black waving around a maglight telling
everyone individually as they arrived: "See that... you could park
a nazgul up there."
All weekend: "Park a nazgul... park a nazgul... park a nazgul".
But on the bright side, that was the weekend one of the big ECW
groups set fire to the visitor's car park at
their event, torching a dozen-odd cars. You should have seen the
gleam in Jeremy Assistant-Custodian's eyes as he told us the
breaking news.
> I have portfolios of Warkworth, Alnwick, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne (Tudor
> period) at home, just haven't had time to scan them.
Warkworth has the top story of the keep weatherproofed to act as a
hunting lodge for some nineteenth century "Percy" Duke of
Northumberland, so we went up there and flew a Neville flag over
it. (The keep has a Percy lion carved into the masonry.) To the
left as you walk in the castle gatehouse is a somewhat...
romantically... ruined building with some Percy heraldry carved
into its towering entrance, to the top of which Bill would
gesticulate disdainfully, and repeatedly.
--
David Brewer
"The mentally disturbed do not employ the Theory of Scientific
Parsimony: the most simple theory to explain a given set of
facts." - P.K.Dick (from VALIS)
Grethe Bachmann
> in article 3ec92fca$0$5186$edfa...@dread11.news.tele.dk, Grethe Bachmann
at
> grethe....@mail.tele.dk wrote on 19/5/03 7:49 pm:
>
>
> > Michael:
> > Allow me to choose a few English castles, although I haven't
> > been there.
> > You've got a special feeling in your heart about the castles in
> > your own country of course - and I have a similar feeling about
> > the castles in Denmark. But the atmosphere in a photo is able
> > to tell you something though , and I should like to choose two
> > castles from your beautiful photo-collection:
> >
> > 1) Hastings Castle ( I simply love the first photo in the Hastings-
> > collection, this old castle is so loaded with medieval athmosphere
> > lying there by the sea in the sunset.)
>
> I'm sorry to say that if you are ever likely to visit Hastings and the
> castle, I feel you will be very disappointed. There is really very little
to
> see as most of the castle has fallen into the sea below.
Sorry to hear that, but I would certainly go to Hastings Castle
anyway. I don't think I would be disappointed. Of course there
are many grand castles in England which are not ruined in that
way, and which I should like to see, but I would be specially
attracted to Hastings Castle because of its history and
"charisma" (if I might use that word for a building!)
I've got the same feeling about the places in DK. We don't have
many medieval castles. I like to see the "grand" ones, but Valdemar
Atterdag's "Gurre" means something special and attracks me more,
although it's just a small restored ruin by now.
>
> > 2) Arundel Castle.
> >
> > Do you have any plans of going to Cornwall and take some photos
> > of Tintagel Castle, Michael? Or is there nothing to be seen there?
>
> My father spent his childhood in Tintagel and I have been there too many
> times to count. Unfortunately I have never taken any pictures of it and
> nowadays it is rather spoilt with all the King Arthur stuff -
Excaliburgers
> being one of them :-(
>
Oh yes, all those tourists!! ......and tourist things with Arthurian names
upon them! Blasphemous!! ( Hilarious! *:)
How do you avoid tourists on your photos? I think it's difficult,if you
aren't at the place early morning or in the evening before darkness.
Sometimes I just stand there waiting until some people walk around a
corner..........but then others come around another corner. You really
have to be patient!
> No, there isn't very much to see but a few walls.
I must have seen it in my dreams! The sea and the waves and the
castle ruin at the top of the wild cliffs. `:)
Best wishes
Grethe
Michael W Cook
at grethe....@mail.tele.dk wrote on 20/5/03 7:50 am:
Patience, a lot of patience, or, several visits.
Sometimes I can see pictures in my mind of what I want, but getting that
shot due to tourists, lighting conditions etc sometimes isn't possible or
takes another visit - take this shot at Bodiam for an example
http://www.crusader-productions.com/Bodiam-Castle/bod-great-hall.jpg
It took two visits to get the right lighting, along with a half hour wait
for nobody to be in shot. Luckily it's somewhere I visit frequently anyway,
but there is a certain shot at Battle I want, yet haven't been able to get
it yet.
>> No, there isn't very much to see but a few walls.
>
> I must have seen it in my dreams! The sea and the waves and the
> castle ruin at the top of the wild cliffs. `:)
Oh yes, that stretch of Cornwall is one of the most striking coastal areas
of Britain - shame about King Arthur and all the baggage he brings with him.
I like to remember Tintagel as it was when I was a child in the 60's, before
it got hijacked by all the commercial tat, I'm afraid to say I wouldn't go
near the place these days.
Martin Reboul
Michael W Cook wrote...
And just when the lighting is perfect, a horde of Japs wearing flourescent
green, pink and orange anoraks appear as if by magic and decide to have a
picnic! Maddening.
I have found that my 'Palestinian' headgear clears the way quite effectively
recently - worth a try, an old teatowel will do.
For very stubborn cases, pretending to be a beggar can work wonders. Splash
a little Special Brew on an old coat, rinse your mouth with same, dab some
behind the ears, then approach targets with wild eyes and a suitable
receptacle in hand, saying "loose change.... loose change", wiping nose on
sleeve and coughing .
Never fails... even better with a tatty old guitar in hand, accordion
better still (you don't need to play of course). Even works in Egypt!
> >> No, there isn't very much to see but a few walls.
> >
> > I must have seen it in my dreams! The sea and the waves and the
> > castle ruin at the top of the wild cliffs. `:)
>
> Oh yes, that stretch of Cornwall is one of the most striking coastal
areas
> of Britain - shame about King Arthur and all the baggage he brings with
him.
> I like to remember Tintagel as it was when I was a child in the 60's,
before
> it got hijacked by all the commercial tat, I'm afraid to say I wouldn't go
> near the place these days.
True I'm afraid, like Glastonbury-on-Sea. The magical atmosphere of Avalon
has been badly polluted I'm afraid.
I also forgot St Michael's Mount (Cornwall). Not strictly a 'castle' but a
heavily fortified stronghold and a beautiful place - well worth a visit.
Cheers
Martin
Doug McDonald
>
> I once stayed in Kilravock Castle in Scotland ( close to the Culloden battle
> field ),and whilst there had a guided tour conducted by Baroness Rose, the
> owner. This was a great experience, a once in a lifetime thing.
>
>
My ancestors lived there, long ago.
The current Baroness is a real kook ... a creationist I believe.
Doug McDonald
erilar
Cook <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> wrote:
To even begin to do justice to German castles would take much more time
than I have available this morning, but. . .
The one I suggest to beginners is always the Marksburg, above Braubach
on the Rhein. Great location, never fell to an enemy, and the interior
gives a good idea of what they were like at the time, even if the
tapestries in the Rittersaal are reproductions rather than originals.
The exhibition of torture instruments is out of place for this castle,
but that's my only quibble. This is my absolute favorite intact castle.
Many of the castles on the Rhein and Mosel were "renovated' in the 19th
century or more recently but are still impressive from the river. My
favorite of these is Burg Stahleck, in large part because it's a youth
hostel I can stay in(and have), but also because the town of Bacharach
is so lovely.
Trifels, above Annweiler, is also very impressive, and a "must" for
Lionheart fans and Staufer enthusiasts in particular, but also for the
location on that spur, even if it's partly "restored"; at least it FEELS
more authentic than the ones with 19th-century-palace interiors.
More will follow later, but I'm being deafened by a dog who wants her
morning walk.
erilar
<Ne...@mrzsp.demonX.co.uk> wrote:
I'd be curious to see what others think on this subject myself. I'm a
dyed-in-the-wool castle hunter who visits cathedrals when they're
nearby, but I've never been in one that begins to affect me like
standing on top of Hohenstaufen with nothing but remnants of the
foundation.
erilar
erilar <erila...@SPAMchibardun.net.invalid> wrote:
> In article <BAEED033.304B%mwc...@crusader-productions.com>, Michael W
> Cook <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> wrote:
> > Let's have your German ones then.
> > In fact, let's have your favs anywhere.
to continue...
A couple recent favorites one can sleep in(youth hostels in castles) are
on my travel pages, though I notice some of the links from the '99 trip
have decayed(such as a couple for Trifels). I should be collecting some
more next fall 8-)
Anyway, having named some other people might have heard of which have
roofs, I thought I'd take a few minutes to list a few favorite ruins.
For a really magnificent view that includes other ruins and a lovely
ruin that winds up a volcanic cone, I don't think Hohentwiel above
Singen near the Bodensee(Lake Constance) can easily take second place. I
visited it before I began putting my "finds" up on the web, but I
guarantee it's well worth a visit(though not in the rain).
OK, Hohenstaufen is not much more than a hill today, with remnants of
foundation and a couple walls, but for Staufer fans it's vital. There
are several other castles in the area I have NOT visited, but I'm still
pretty healthy 8-) Actually, there are all kinds of castles and remains
of castles in Schwaben, many of which I've climbed around in. It's great
castle-hunting territory.
There are remains of a Staufer Pflaz in Bad Wimpfen on the Neckar,
another river with several castles I have yet to visit. I'm going to see
another even more important one in Gelnhausen in October 8-)
And there are some along the Danube I've only seen from train windows,
along with a youth hostel in one, Burg Wildenstein, where my daughter
and I slept in a room in a tower.
Sophia
<...>
You've set a fiendishly difficult task, Mike. Even with only England
to select from (and many of my faves are not on the damp island at
all) to choose a mere five is hard...
Here goes:
Raglan
The quintessance of luxury and pride, built by a bad, bad man on ill
gotten gains, later the home of of mechanical marvels and a great
library burned by bigots. Though it's more than half a mansion, the
great tower is awe-inspiring - and proved very strong - and the
polygonal towers with their beautiful shapes and delicate treatment
are beautiful.
Bodiam
The beau ideal of what a castle should be, Camelot dreaming on a lake.
One can see why Lord Curzon loved it so, just as I'm sure Edward
Dalyngrigge did when he built it. The interior is rather dull though,
but that's nothing the shade of Viollet le Duc couldn't put right.
Corfe
Gaunt in the way that the Rhine castles are, and with an epic history.
It's badly broken, but there's enough yet to show what a mighty
fortress and palace it once was.
Bolton
One isn't sure when approaching if it's Bolton or Castle Dracula. Most
of my choices are based on aesthetics, but this one is based on sheer
admiration for the skill of the architect who stacked four towers and
a courtyard with a labyrinth of amazing rooms. Economy, cunning and
taste.
Chepstow
I like the great tower, Marten's tower and the way it straggles along
the cliff.
Also rans: Portchester, Goodrich, Dover, Kidwelly, Stokesay,
Carisbrooke, Pembroke, Castle Rising, Framlingham, Old Sarum, Leeds.
There are two other sites which I'd have liked to include but they
aren't quite castles, though they are fortified: St Michael's Mount
and South Wingfield.
The most disappointing castles I have visited have been The Tower,
Windsor, Tintagel, Hastings and Knaresborough.
The lost castles I most wish I could have seen would be
Pontefract, Queenborough, Nottingham, Fotheringhay, Basing House and
Southampton (*).
(*) my home town: there's little left, but enough to show that what
there was once was cool. Gallingly, it was only destroyed in the 1830s.
Sophia
Faith in fabulousness
William Black
> William Black <black_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Warkworth, a beautiful Victorian confection with Norman features rebuilt
> >over Gothic ones and a tower especially built for the Nazgul to perch on.
>
> William, are you thinking Alnwick here? I didn't think Warkworth had all
> that much Victorian work done to it.
Look closely, that faux seventeenth century hunting lodge at the top of the
keep has some of the best fake furniture ever made in it.
The 'John of Gaunt' tower has a poured concrete floor
The Gothic gate is below the Norman structure in the gate tower.
The octofoil base of the keep may well be original, but most of the rest is
a beautiful folly, and those poured concrete floors give the game away in
the upper works of the keep as well..
As an old friend of mine once said about English castles, 'Trust nothing
above shoulder height north of the Trent'.
William Black
"David Brewer" <david...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3EC99203...@blueyonder.co.uk...
> C A Candy wrote:
> >
> > In article <babb5c$1ej$5...@sparta.btinternet.com>,
> > William Black <black_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > >Warkworth, a beautiful Victorian confection with Norman features
rebuilt
> > >over Gothic ones and a tower especially built for the Nazgul to perch
on.
> >
> > William, are you thinking Alnwick here? I didn't think Warkworth had
all
> > that much Victorian work done to it.
>
> Oh, he means Warkworth all right.
>
> I recall going up to Warkworth one evening for a reenactment
> weekend, and there was Bill Black waving around a maglight telling
> everyone individually as they arrived: "See that... you could park
> a nazgul up there."
>
> All weekend: "Park a nazgul... park a nazgul... park a nazgul".
A slight exageration, but never mind.
I remember that weekend quite well, now, who was it with those nice Tower
Pattern muskets, the Long Land pattern ones...
William Black
"Sophia" <sop...@arxana.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3EC937C5...@arxana.demon.co.uk...
> William Black wrote:
> > Skipsea in East Yorkshire, home of Drogo, Lord of Holderness, know as
> > 'The Vile' (the best medieval name ever). No castle, but the best
> > preserved mound and dyke I've ever seen.
>
> What did he do to earn that name?
Well, apart from being extremely cruel, and taking a major part in the
atrocities known as 'The Harrying of the North' he married William the
Bastard's sister/cousin/niece and promptly murdered her, escaping by boat,
his pursuers were within bow shot of him at one point I believe, to the Holy
Lands where he disappeared, or possibly never arrived.
Altogether a bad lot, nobody ever rebuilt his castle either, and were
probably too scared to build on the land. I mean, would you if there was
the slightest possibility of him turning up and going all 'Farmer Palmer' on
you?
Which is probably why it's in such good nick.
Sophia
> "Sophia" <sop...@arxana.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:3EC937C5...@arxana.demon.co.uk...
>
>>William Black wrote:
>
>
>>>Skipsea in East Yorkshire, home of Drogo, Lord of Holderness, know as
>>>'The Vile' (the best medieval name ever). No castle, but the best
>>>preserved mound and dyke I've ever seen.
>>
>>What did he do to earn that name?
>
>
> Well, apart from being extremely cruel, and taking a major part in the
> atrocities known as 'The Harrying of the North' he married William the
> Bastard's sister/cousin/niece and promptly murdered her, escaping by boat,
> his pursuers were within bow shot of him at one point I believe, to the Holy
> Lands where he disappeared, or possibly never arrived.
I'll bet never arrived. Murdering William the Bastard's sister wasn't
the smartest of things to do, and he was the vengeful type...
>
> Altogether a bad lot, nobody ever rebuilt his castle either, and were
> probably too scared to build on the land. I mean, would you if there was
> the slightest possibility of him turning up and going all 'Farmer Palmer' on
> you?
Quite.
Sophia
Faith in fabulousness
Michael W Cook
sop...@arxana.demon.co.uk wrote on 20/5/03 8:27 pm:
> Michael W Cook wrote:
>
> <...>
>
> You've set a fiendishly difficult task, Mike. Even with only England
> to select from (and many of my faves are not on the damp island at
> all) to choose a mere five is hard...
It *is* hard, it took me two hours and several changes to come up with mine.
Wonderful, thank you very much, it's nice to know what other folk think and
their reasons for choosing a certain place.
> Also rans: Portchester, Goodrich, Dover, Kidwelly, Stokesay,
> Carisbrooke, Pembroke, Castle Rising, Framlingham, Old Sarum, Leeds.
Some classics there :-)
> There are two other sites which I'd have liked to include but they
> aren't quite castles, though they are fortified: St Michael's Mount
> and South Wingfield.
Isn't Stokesay classed as a fortified manor as well ?
> The most disappointing castles I have visited have been The Tower,
> Windsor, Tintagel, Hastings and Knaresborough.
Go back to the Tower, Sophia, in the middle of winter on a Sunday as soon as
they open, when the tourists are still eating their breakfast - it'll be a
different experience I assure you.
I agree with the others completely, especially Hastings, my town of birth.
>
> The lost castles I most wish I could have seen would be
> Pontefract, Queenborough, Nottingham, Fotheringhay, Basing House and
> Southampton (*).
>
> (*) my home town: there's little left, but enough to show that what
> there was once was cool. Gallingly, it was only destroyed in the 1830s.
>
> Sophia
> Faith in fabulousness
I'm going to be down at Broadlands next Monday, I may try and pop in to see
the abbey.
Thanks again Sophia.
William Black
"Michael W Cook" <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> wrote in message
news:BAF055AF.30F9%mwc...@crusader-productions.com...
> Go back to the Tower, Sophia, in the middle of winter on a Sunday as soon
as
> they open, when the tourists are still eating their breakfast - it'll be a
> different experience I assure you.
I was once in The Tower when it was closed to the public.
It's quite eerie, the only people about were a couple of soldiers in
combats rather than the hordes of tourists that are usual.
The only place I've ever been to that was in the least like it for
atmosphere was Carlisle. It had that same air of a place almost 'over used'
and not quite right, as if a place that old shouldn't be a working building
at all.
Very odd.
Simon Pugh
erilar <erila...@SPAMchibardun.net.invalid> writes
I remember being greatly impressed with the tower, Dover, Corfe and
Porchester castle as a child, but for some reason I haven't been on a
castle visit since.
This doesn't mean I don't find them interesting and romantic. I think it
must go back to childhood with fairy tales and romances of King Arthur.
It can't just be that they are big impressive buildings because
cathedrals are that too.
--
Simon Pugh
Remove X for email
Paul J Gans
They are engines. Powerful engines of war and control.
To possess a castle makes one a person to be reckoned with.
At least that's the way I look at it.
---- Paul J. Gans
C A Candy
William Black <black_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Look closely, that faux seventeenth century hunting lodge at the top of the
>keep has some of the best fake furniture ever made in it.
>
>The 'John of Gaunt' tower has a poured concrete floor
>
>The Gothic gate is below the Norman structure in the gate tower.
>
>The octofoil base of the keep may well be original, but most of the rest is
>a beautiful folly, and those poured concrete floors give the game away in
>the upper works of the keep as well..
Oh, I agree major things have been done to it... I just wouldn't have
considered it as the glaring example of reworked fortifications up here.
I never did get to see the fake hunting lodge. :) Of course, other places
have this problem as well - weren't parts of Caerphilly rebuilt in the
19th century?
>As an old friend of mine once said about English castles, 'Trust nothing
>above shoulder height north of the Trent'.
This I can believe - Durham Castle (which houses a major portion of one of
our colleges) has so much redone that they were stunned to have some
Norman bits left to show off. The castle tour is a litany of 'well, this
was changed by Bishop Fill-In-The-Blank in 1***, only for his next
fourteen successors to modify it to their personal whims...
Michael W Cook
Ne...@mrzsp.demonX.co.uk wrote on 20/5/03 10:31 pm:
>>> But what is about castles, there is something romantic about them that
>>> stirs the blood. Medieval Cathedrals etc, though magnificent don't seem
>>> to have the same resonance?
Cathedrals do the same for me, in fact, I find they usually have more of a
wow factor than many castles if visited at the right time.
Ely is one that immediately springs to mind, absolutely awesome, from the
moment you first spot it, dominating the landscape for miles around.
Once you finally get up close, those towers and stonework are incredible.
How can anyone NOT be inspired by this !
http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Ely.html
Regards
Simon Pugh
Cook <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> writes
>in article v3MkU5No...@mrzsp.demon.co.uk, Simon Pugh at
>Ne...@mrzsp.demonX.co.uk wrote on 20/5/03 10:31 pm:
>
>>>> But what is about castles, there is something romantic about them that
>>>> stirs the blood. Medieval Cathedrals etc, though magnificent don't seem
>>>> to have the same resonance?
>
>Cathedrals do the same for me, in fact, I find they usually have more of a
>wow factor than many castles if visited at the right time.
>
>Ely is one that immediately springs to mind, absolutely awesome, from the
>moment you first spot it, dominating the landscape for miles around.
>Once you finally get up close, those towers and stonework are incredible.
>
>How can anyone NOT be inspired by this !
>
>http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Ely.html
>
That's not quite what I meant, cathedrals are indeed inspiring, but in a
different way, at least for me. Their WOW factor is helped as so many of
them are still intact and in use today, although we don't know them in
their full medieval multicoloured glory. :-)
Simon Pugh
<ga...@panix.com> writes
>Simon Pugh <Ne...@mrzsp.demonx.co.uk> wrote:
<Snip>
>>This doesn't mean I don't find them interesting and romantic. I think it
>>must go back to childhood with fairy tales and romances of King Arthur.
>>It can't just be that they are big impressive buildings because
>>cathedrals are that too.
>
>They are engines. Powerful engines of war and control.
>To possess a castle makes one a person to be reckoned with.
>
>At least that's the way I look at it.
>
> ---- Paul J. Gans
That reminds me of a childhood game, you stood on top a tree stump or
other high point and shouted "I'm the king of the castle, get down you
dirty rascal", then your friends would try to push you off. The winner
would take over and so on until everyone got bored.
But don't you think castles are more complicated than just symbols of
power and control, there must be many layers to castle symbolism.
Castles can be positive like Camelot, they can be places of safety, but
they can also exclude, they can be dark, malign places full of secrets,
people who enter them may never return.
Kafka used a castle in one of his books, but it is so long since I read
it that, my memory of it is very dim. :)
William Black
> In article <bae16c$qrs$4...@titan.btinternet.com>,
> William Black <black_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >Look closely, that faux seventeenth century hunting lodge at the top of
the
> >keep has some of the best fake furniture ever made in it.
> >
> >The 'John of Gaunt' tower has a poured concrete floor
> >
> >The Gothic gate is below the Norman structure in the gate tower.
> >
> >The octofoil base of the keep may well be original, but most of the rest
is
> >a beautiful folly, and those poured concrete floors give the game away
in
> >the upper works of the keep as well..
>
> Oh, I agree major things have been done to it... I just wouldn't have
> considered it as the glaring example of reworked fortifications up here.
> I never did get to see the fake hunting lodge. :)
Actually in my opinion that's the best bit. The furniture is nineteenth
century reproductions of seventeenth century furniture, and wonderfully
well done as well.
The whole place reeks of the insecurity of the people who adopted the name
'Percy' in the eighteenth century when they became Earls of Northumberland.
I should add that although the castle is now run by English Heritage I
believe that the 'Percy' family have the use of the lodge one day a year.
C A Candy
William Black <black_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
<Re Warkworth>
>The whole place reeks of the insecurity of the people who adopted the name
>'Percy' in the eighteenth century when they became Earls of Northumberland.
>
>I should add that although the castle is now run by English Heritage I
>believe that the 'Percy' family have the use of the lodge one day a year.
Heh. The Percy family, or at least the present Duke of Northumberland,
have a rather... poor reputation up here. I think the kindest phrase I've
heard used to describe him was 'chiseling little bastard'. Might have
something to do with the fact that he's behind a scheme to build a Tesco's
where it can kill the Alnwick city centre's trade and even attempted to
reassert his rights to market dues in the city a couple years ago.
Needless to say, it was not something to endear himself to his neighbours.
Kathy McIntosh
<black_...@hotmail.com> writes
>
>"Michael W Cook" <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> wrote in message
>news:BAF055AF.30F9%mwc...@crusader-productions.com...
>
>> Go back to the Tower, Sophia, in the middle of winter on a Sunday as soon
>as
>> they open, when the tourists are still eating their breakfast - it'll be a
>> different experience I assure you.
>
>I was once in The Tower when it was closed to the public.
I've done that too. A concert of music by Thomas Tallis and Michael
Tippet, including refreshments, a history of the chapel, where the
concert was held, and the ceremony of the keys. We went at the end of
July, and the keys bit took place at dusk. Eerie indeed.
>
>It's quite eerie, the only people about were a couple of soldiers in
>combats rather than the hordes of tourists that are usual.
>
--
Kathy McIntosh
Martin Reboul
C A Candy wrote...
> William Black wrote:
>
> <Re Warkworth>
>
> >The whole place reeks of the insecurity of the people who adopted the
name
> >'Percy' in the eighteenth century when they became Earls of
Northumberland.
> >
> >I should add that although the castle is now run by English Heritage I
> >believe that the 'Percy' family have the use of the lodge one day a year.
>
> Heh. The Percy family, or at least the present Duke of Northumberland,
> have a rather... poor reputation up here. I think the kindest phrase I've
> heard used to describe him was 'chiseling little bastard'. Might have
> something to do with the fact that he's behind a scheme to build a Tesco's
> where it can kill the Alnwick city centre's trade and even attempted to
> reassert his rights to market dues in the city a couple years ago.
> Needless to say, it was not something to endear himself to his neighbours.
Hmmmm. Sounds as if they haven't changed much since the Wars of the Roses
then? Henry Percy (lamentably ungrateful and unforthcoming when it came to
supporting Ed IV in 1471, despite the favours Edward had done him in the
recent past), was killed by his own tenants whilst collecting taxes a few
years later. Or so they say. In fact it is little surprise their neighbours
the Nevilles round rings around the Percies most of the time, and John
Neville even became Earl of Northumberland for a while.
Does anyone know of any portraits existing of them from that time? I have
heard they exist, but not seen one to date. And the Stanley brothers .
Cheers
Martin
KSmith
> After all this talk on castles, lets go a step further and
> make a list of
> SHM readers top five castles in England.
>
I Don´t know about a favourite five, but my favourite used to be Orford,
in Suffolk. The strange, tall, almost circular keep with the three
square
towers on the edges. The pity is the curtain wall is missing, but the
rest is fairly intact. I can't remember exactly but I think I'm right in
saying that it's fairly early for a castle, a sort of strange
'experimental design'. One of the problems in that area is that there
is no local stone, so it must have been been difficult to transport
the stone there.
Another Suffolk castle I used to visit with my family when we lived
there was Framlingham. This, I think, is a completely different case,
none of the brute strength of Orford, but changed over the years, with
those strange Elizabethan chimneys.
Goodrich castle must be the list with it's soft red stone, and
lovely countryside.
Dover? - worth a visit with the kids. Impressive, and still feels
very military.
Corfe - The dazzling white stone, although broken, so easy to see
how the castle used to be, great place.
OK, I've named five, but looking at it visiting castles was never
a simple go there, look at the castle, and go home sort of thing.
It's always been more than that, getting a feel for the area, having
good long walks exploring new places. Finding a decent pub (if you're
lucky).
No, thinking about it Orford was always my favourite, and just about the
closest.
--
Direct access to this group with http://web2news.com
http://web2news.com/?soc.history.medieval
Michael W Cook
kevin17.ne...@web2news.net wrote on 23/5/03 1:55 pm:
> I Don´t know about a favourite five, but my favourite used to be Orford,
> in Suffolk. The strange, tall, almost circular keep with the three
> square
> towers on the edges. The pity is the curtain wall is missing, but the
> rest is fairly intact. I can't remember exactly but I think I'm right in
> saying that it's fairly early for a castle, a sort of strange
> 'experimental design'. One of the problems in that area is that there
> is no local stone, so it must have been been difficult to transport
> the stone there.
>
> Another Suffolk castle I used to visit with my family when we lived
> there was Framlingham. This, I think, is a completely different case,
> none of the brute strength of Orford, but changed over the years, with
> those strange Elizabethan chimneys.
Orford was built by Henry II, see my web page on the castle.
http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Orford-Castle.html
Or Framlingham:
http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Framlingham-Castle.html
Regards
Michael
Michael W Cook
Castles Abbeys and Medieval Buildings
http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk
--
Michael Kuettner
"Michael W Cook" <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:BAEED033.304B%mwc...@crusader-productions.com...
> in article erilarloFRY-A73A...@news.airstreamcomm.net,
erilar
> at erila...@SPAMchibardun.net.invalid wrote on 19/5/03 4:26 pm:
>
> > I'm afraid I've only seen pictures of English castles, so I can't judge
> > them as I can those in Germany. I've certainly seen lots of pictures of
> > #3, of course. And the castles built by that extremely nasty Ed #1 are
> > very impressive.
>
> In fact, let's have your favs anywhere.
>
and _especially_ Rhodes to the list.
Apart from that, Hohensalzburg (you'll find little pieces from 11th to 15th
century there); the Schattenburg in Feldkirch (too much commerce, but
still nice).
The ruin of Riegersburg in Styria.
The castles on the way from Brenner to Verona (Southern Tyrol) - and
of course Erilars list.
So many castles - so little time ....
Cheers,
Michael Kuettner
PS : Michael - if you've never been to Rhodes, I can send you some
snapshots (I love my digital camera) to give you an idea.
This castle (city ? where are the boundaries ? ;-) ) is _impressive_.
(Although there are always tourists on the photos).
Another thing I like is that tourism adds to archaeology.
I've made some pictures of an old fortification right at the harbour;
one can see the excavations; where they are finished, the building
is restored.
JB
> I have portfolios of Warkworth, Alnwick, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne (Tudor
> period) at home, just haven't had time to scan them. Bamburgh is probably
> the best for spectacular views, though Lindisfarne has some amazing ones
> as well.
You can't mention Northumbrian Castles without talking about
Dunstanburgh. One of the largest and viewed from the beach it still
has an imposing appearance.
Michael W Cook
wrote on 26/5/03 11:42 pm:
http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Medieval-Rhodes.html
There you go, Michael.
Everything you've ever wanted to know about Rhodes and the Knights of St
John - I loved the place and have been back there three times.
Cheers
gerold firl
> In article <erilarloFRY-CA4E...@news.airstreamcomm.net>,
> erilar <erila...@SPAMchibardun.net.invalid> wrote:
> OK, Hohenstaufen is not much more than a hill today, with remnants of
> foundation and a couple walls, but for Staufer fans it's vital. There
> are several other castles in the area I have NOT visited, but I'm still
> pretty healthy 8-) Actually, there are all kinds of castles and remains
> of castles in Schwaben, many of which I've climbed around in. It's great
> castle-hunting territory.
Are you familiar with the castle in Sigmaringen? I recall seeing an
interesting photo of it once, but have never visited. As I recall, it
belongs to the southern branch of the Hohenzollerns; weren't they some
kind of offshoot from the Hohenstaufen?
Burg Eltz on the Mosel also looks interesting; another castle I
haven't visited. %^)
I guess my favorite German castle (which I actually *have* visited)
would be the Wartburg; not because of its architectural excellence
(it's not bad, but fairly modest) but because of its historical
significance. Not only was it the refuge of Luther, but even more
significant (for me) was its association with the great medieval
literature of the 12th C. Renaissance. Wolfram von Eschenbach and
Walter von der Vogelweide both sang there - anyone know if Gottfried
von Strassburg ever made it to Thuringen?
- gerold
Michael Kuettner
> in article bau5k7$lfq$3...@rex.ip-plus.net, Michael Kuettner at
mik...@eunet.at
> wrote on 26/5/03 11:42 pm:
>
> http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Medieval-Rhodes.html
>
> There you go, Michael.
>
> Everything you've ever wanted to know about Rhodes and the Knights of St
> John - I loved the place and have been back there three times.
>
Well, I should have known that Rhodes wouldn't slip by a castle-fetishist
;-)
Cheers,
Michael Kuettner
Michael W Cook
wrote on 29/5/03 10:45 pm:
It's a good time to go there at the moment.
Not too hot yet and with luck some flowers will still be out.
Give it another month and the place will be dry as tinder, as well as having
hoards of British and German tourists messing up the place.
Autumn is another good time to visit, fewer tourists again and the sea is as
warm as a bath.
Did you get around the Island at all ?
MWC
erilar
> Are you familiar with the castle in Sigmaringen? I recall seeing an
> interesting photo of it once, but have never visited. As I recall, it
> belongs to the southern branch of the Hohenzollerns; weren't they some
> kind of offshoot from the Hohenstaufen?
Sigmaringen as it appears today is mostly palace, but part of the
original castle is visible from the courtyard. Some friends took me to
visit it, telling me it had a great armor collection. Well, it's rather
large, but from my point of view a bit late to be interesting: lots of
fancy plate. The one in the Marksburg is small but more varied.
>
> Burg Eltz on the Mosel also looks interesting; another castle I
> haven't visited. %^)
Burg Eltz is gorgeous, and has lots of history. The interiors
visitors are allowed to see are rather palatial, but less "modern" than
the interior of Sigmaringen.
>
> I guess my favorite German castle (which I actually *have* visited)
> would be the Wartburg; not because of its architectural excellence
> (it's not bad, but fairly modest) but because of its historical
> significance. Not only was it the refuge of Luther, but even more
> significant (for me) was its association with the great medieval
> literature of the 12th C. Renaissance. Wolfram von Eschenbach and
> Walter von der Vogelweide both sang there - anyone know if Gottfried
> von Strassburg ever made it to Thuringen?
Well, he wasn't a Minnesinger 8-) It took me years to get to the
Wartburg because most of my trips after 1990, when it became simpler,
were with student groups and I didn't get to pick the route. We did get
close enough to the Marksburg on one for me to get that one included,
however.
And yes, the Wartburg has historical connections for people with a
variety of interests. Minnesang is mine, to 8-)
--
Mary Loomer Oliver(aka erilar)
Erilar's Cave Annex:
http://www.airstreamcomm.net/~erilarlo
Michael Kuettner
> in article bb5vf3$e7h$6...@rex.ip-plus.net, Michael Kuettner at
mik...@eunet.at
> wrote on 29/5/03 10:45 pm:
>
> >
> > "Michael W Cook" <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> schrieb im
Newsbeitrag
> > news:BAF95A65.39C6%mwc...@crusader-productions.com...
> >> in article bau5k7$lfq$3...@rex.ip-plus.net, Michael Kuettner at
> > mik...@eunet.at
> >> wrote on 26/5/03 11:42 pm:
> >>
> > <snip>
> >
> >> http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Medieval-Rhodes.html
> >>
> >> There you go, Michael.
> >>
> >> Everything you've ever wanted to know about Rhodes and the Knights of
St
> >> John - I loved the place and have been back there three times.
> >>
> >
> > Well, I should have known that Rhodes wouldn't slip by a
castle-fetishist
> > ;-)
> >
>
> It's a good time to go there at the moment.
> Not too hot yet and with luck some flowers will still be out.
>
(I also haven't seen a single merchant who wasn't out ;-))
> Give it another month and the place will be dry as tinder, as well as
having
> hoards of British and German tourists messing up the place.
>
They seem to be swarming early this year (at least the Germans) - the place
was overrun.
> Autumn is another good time to visit, fewer tourists again and the sea is
as
> warm as a bath.
>
My SO and me have decided to go back there in October or November; she
shops and I get to plunder^Wsee some archaeological sites ;-)
> Did you get around the Island at all ?
>
In eight hours ?
That's the problem with crusades^Wcruises - Apart from raping and
plundering there's too little time to see the unburned landscape ;-)
Right now I'm back in Italy; trip to Ravenna next week - it's just
65 kilometres away (takes me about an hour to get there).
If you want to see where I am, try www.albarella-ferienhaeuser.ch .
(I'm in Terza Ovest right now, enjoying the sunset ;-P ).
Cheers,
Michael Kuettner
Michael W Cook
wrote on 30/5/03 7:24 pm:
http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Medieval-Rhodes.html
>>>> There you go, Michael.
>>>>
>>>> Everything you've ever wanted to know about Rhodes and the Knights of
> St
>>>> John - I loved the place and have been back there three times.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Well, I should have known that Rhodes wouldn't slip by a
>>> castle-fetishist ;-)
>>>
>>
>> It's a good time to go there at the moment.
>> Not too hot yet and with luck some flowers will still be out.
>>
> I haven't seen a single flower which wasn't out.
> (I also haven't seen a single merchant who wasn't out ;-))
>
>> Give it another month and the place will be dry as tinder, as well as
> having
>> hoards of British and German tourists messing up the place.
>>
> They seem to be swarming early this year (at least the Germans) - the place
> was overrun.
Oh dear :-(
Give the Brits a couple of weeks, it'll be ten times as bad.
>> Autumn is another good time to visit, fewer tourists again and the sea is
> as warm as a bath.
>>
> My SO and me have decided to go back there in October or November; she
> shops and I get to plunder^Wsee some archaeological sites ;-)
It's a bit dodgy that time of year with a much greater chances of rain.
It's also not anywhere near as warm and nowhere will be open.
Come mid September the locals get hacked off after a long Summer and tend to
close up for the winter.
Early-mid September's probably the nicest time to visit, although you loose
the light in the evenings, it's unlikely to rain.
>> Did you get around the Island at all ?
> In eight hours ?
> That's the problem with crusades^Wcruises - Apart from raping and
> plundering there's too little time to see the unburned landscape ;-)
You saw the main bits in Rhodes town then ?
Beautiful, isn't it ?
You can easily drive around the whole Island in a day, which is quite
pleasant, although the roads down the far south tend to get a little dodgy.
There is much to see though, medieval and ancient.
If you get a chance on your visit, Chalki is a lovely little Island worth a
look. There is a superb castle high above the town with a nice challenging
rock climb/scramble up to it - or the road.
I stayed on Chalki for a week about 5/6 years ago, my girlfriend's parents
hired a place there for four months between April-July.
You can still see some paintings in the chapel and the battlements are in
place on quite a bit of the wall. It's pretty treacherous though in parts,
and if you fall into the hidden depths of the castle, there's no way out as
far as I could make out as the place is empty, nobody goes in there except
nutty medievalist tourists like me. Of course there are also fantastic
views all over the small Island and across the sea to Rhodes itself.
> Right now I'm back in Italy; trip to Ravenna next week - it's just
> 65 kilometres away (takes me about an hour to get there).
> If you want to see where I am, try www.albarella-ferienhaeuser.ch .
> (I'm in Terza Ovest right now, enjoying the sunset ;-P ).
Very nice, I'm in hot London...sweating :-(
Michael Kuettner
> in article bb87ot$l04$2...@rex.ip-plus.net, Michael Kuettner at
mik...@eunet.at
> wrote on 30/5/03 7:24 pm:
>
> http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Medieval-Rhodes.html
> >> It's a good time to go there at the moment.
> >> Not too hot yet and with luck some flowers will still be out.
> >>
> > I haven't seen a single flower which wasn't out.
> > (I also haven't seen a single merchant who wasn't out ;-))
> >
> >> Give it another month and the place will be dry as tinder, as well as
> > having
> >> hoards of British and German tourists messing up the place.
> >>
> > They seem to be swarming early this year (at least the Germans) - the
place
> > was overrun.
>
> Oh dear :-(
>
> Give the Brits a couple of weeks, it'll be ten times as bad.
>
("ACH KUCK' MA, HEINZ-DIETER - 'NE FRITTENBUDE !!!!").
They also have more tact (I hope that is still so).
Overheard conversation (well, the Prussians talked rather loud):
"This isn't too bad for Greece; especially if you know how lazy
those Greeks are". Stated just beside the waiter, who (as almost
all of the Rhodesians ;-)) spoke (more or less) fluently German.
Better a thousand Brits than 10 Germans.
>
> It's a bit dodgy that time of year with a much greater chances of rain.
> It's also not anywhere near as warm and nowhere will be open.
> Come mid September the locals get hacked off after a long Summer and tend
to
> close up for the winter.
>
I know ...
My SO has a rather special affectation for jewelry shops (which is a rare
trait
among females, I've been told ;-)).
Half of them were (had SOs) from Switzerland (leading among them is Zurich)
while the other half has roots / connections to Germany.
They all go there for the off-season.
> Early-mid September's probably the nicest time to visit, although you
loose
> the light in the evenings, it's unlikely to rain.
>
Err - loosing the light _is_ called "evening" which leads to the
phenomenon of "night" :-P
> >> Did you get around the Island at all ?
>
> > In eight hours ?
> > That's the problem with crusades^Wcruises - Apart from raping and
> > plundering there's too little time to see the unburned landscape ;-)
>
> You saw the main bits in Rhodes town then ?
>
Not really.
Just when I started salivating and heavy-breathing and prepared
myself for entering the archaeological museum, I heard the battle-cry
of my SO "Shopping".
I've seen Rhodes town, though.
My favourite was the clock-tower because of its description:
"Byzantine clock-tower". No year, no nothing. Leaves you with a
thousand years to pick from (oh - wrong country ;-))
> Beautiful, isn't it ?
>
Yes.
> You can easily drive around the whole Island in a day, which is quite
> pleasant, although the roads down the far south tend to get a little
dodgy.
> There is much to see though, medieval and ancient.
>
I know. That's why I'm so annoyed with a cruise; too little time for the
nice places.
But we had to go to fucking Athens (for _five_ hours, from 7am to 12 am).
But one learns something : You won't find a single fucking cabbie
in Piraeus who just drives you into Athens; they all want to sell you a
frigging
"city-tour".
I'd rather have had those five more hours for Dubrovnik, Thera or Rhodos,
for Chrissake.
> If you get a chance on your visit, Chalki is a lovely little Island worth
a
> look. There is a superb castle high above the town with a nice
challenging
> rock climb/scramble up to it - or the road.
>
Thanks. When was the castle built ?
> I stayed on Chalki for a week about 5/6 years ago, my girlfriend's
parents
> hired a place there for four months between April-July.
>
A language question :
Do the British use "hire" instead of "rent" ?
I've always thought that one hires a person but rents a place
(or is that a local useage ?)
> You can still see some paintings in the chapel and the battlements are in
> place on quite a bit of the wall. It's pretty treacherous though in
parts,
> and if you fall into the hidden depths of the castle, there's no way out
as
> far as I could make out as the place is empty, nobody goes in there
except
> nutty medievalist tourists like me.
Well yes; but which nutty med wants to be rescued from the depths of a
castle, hmm ? ;-)
> Of course there are also fantastic
> views all over the small Island and across the sea to Rhodes itself.
>
Thanks again; I'll certainly visit the place.
> > Right now I'm back in Italy; trip to Ravenna next week - it's just
> > 65 kilometres away (takes me about an hour to get there).
> > If you want to see where I am, try www.albarella-ferienhaeuser.ch .
> > (I'm in Terza Ovest right now, enjoying the sunset ;-P ).
>
> Very nice, I'm in hot London...sweating :-(
>
Oh - you've got a sauna in your house ? ;-P
(To cheer you up - I had to cement in the hot sun;
33 deg. Celsius in the shadow); Now I've got a healthy
sun-burn)
Cheers,
Michael Kuettner
Brian M. Scott
<mik...@eunet.at> wrote:
[...]
>(To cheer you up - I had to cement in the hot sun;
>33 deg. Celsius in the shadow); Now I've got a healthy
>sun-burn)
No such thing! <g> But I envy you the 33C; here it's been windy
and very wet, and the temperature barely got above 10C.
Brian
Andrew Wells
> After all this talk on castles, lets go a step further and make a list of
> SHM readers top five castles in England.
Belvoir
Rochester
Orford
Framlingham
Yesnaby
Andrew
Sophia
> Michael W Cook <mwc...@crusader-productions.com> wrote in message news:<BAEDC852.3011%mwc...@crusader-productions.com>...
>
>>After all this talk on castles, lets go a step further and make a list of
>>SHM readers top five castles in England.
>
>
> Belvoir
That's a really interesting choice - i don't think anyone else has
selected a post mediaeval castle (though on a mediaeval site). It is
magnificent though - makes me think of PG Woodhouse's Blandings.
> Rochester
> Orford
> Framlingham
All cool.
> Yesnaby
I've never heard of this one, and Googling only reveals pics of a
terrifying-looking sea stack. Was the castle on the top or has it
fallen into the sea?
Sophia
faith in fabulousness
Andrew Wells
> Andrew Wells wrote:
> > Belvoir
>
> That's a really interesting choice - i don't think anyone else has
> selected a post mediaeval castle (though on a mediaeval site). It is
> magnificent though - makes me think of PG Woodhouse's Blandings.
I used to work there as a warden / guide / whatever.
> I've never heard of this one, and Googling only reveals pics of a
> terrifying-looking sea stack. Was the castle on the top or has it
> fallen into the sea?
Tee hee. I should have put a smiley, as I was being tongue-in-cheek;
there is only a sea stack, but the OS 1:50,000 map marks a "fortress".
Our theory is that the surveyor was in the pub talking to the locals,
and one of them said, "And don't forget Yesnaby Castle."
Saw it last week - it was impressive - and there was some idiot /
brave person (delete as you will) on top.
Andrew
Michael Kuettner
"Brian M. Scott" <b.s...@csuohio.edu> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3ed94bbd....@enews.newsguy.com...
> On Sun, 1 Jun 2003 01:00:27 +0200, "Michael Kuettner"
> <mik...@eunet.at> wrote:
>
> [...]
>
> >(To cheer you up - I had to cement in the hot sun;
> >33 deg. Celsius in the shadow); Now I've got a healthy
> >sun-burn)
>
> No such thing! <g>
> But I envy you the 33C; here it's been windy
> and very wet, and the temperature barely got above 10C.
>
Well, it's a week later now; sometimes we've gone as low as 27C;
and not a drop of rain; err - you said that you are teaching in Siberia ?
;-P
Cheers,
Michael Kuettner