Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is one of the greatest historical sites in the UK, a fine example of a semi-royal palace, teeming with extraordinary tales of famous and infamous historical figures like King John, Simon de Montfort, John of Gaunt and Henry V.
This magnificent ruin has played an important historical role throughout the late Middle Ages and witnessed many pivotal events, including the Second Barons’ War and the Wars of the Roses.
First and foremost, the sheer magnitude of this medieval fortress took my breath away. The castle's rich history seeps through every stone, and it's like stepping back in time. The castle is now mostly in ruins due to the slighting (partial destruction) by Parliamentary forces in 1649 to prevent it being used as a stronghold after the English Civil War. What is amazing is that we can still see the remains of the various stages of construction over a period of five centuries, from the reign of Henry I (1100 - 1135) to Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603). For me however, the fascination of this incredible site was the lingering presence of so many key players from the political landscape of Medieval England .
Kenilworth’s great tower is the earliest surviving structure on the site, having been built by Geoffrey de Clinton, Lord Chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I. While it is uncertain exactly what the original form of the site would have been, it would probably have consisted of a motte surrounded by timber buildings, that being the common design for most Norman castles.
When I visited England I was intrigued by how close in proximity Kenilworth Castle is to Warwick Castle, a mere 7 miles, which seemed to me to be really close given the size of both of these fortresses. After researching a bit more I found out that at the time of the original construction, Clinton was a rival to Roger de Beaumont, the Earl of Warwick, the King had made Clinton the sheriff of Warwickshire in a bid to counterbalance the growing power of Beaumont.
On Clinton’s death in 1133, his son inherited his estates, the disputes however continued between the two families until Geoffrey II was forced to come to terms with his rival, and agreed to marry Beaumont’s daughter Agnes.There was no further development of the castle for quite some time, partly due to these disputes, but also because of the upheaval in the entire country caused by the Anarchy (battle for the throne by Henry’s daughter Matilda and her cousin Stephen of Blois (1135-54). Geoffrey de Clinton died during the Anarchy, and when Henry II succeeded to the throne at the end of this conflict, Kenilworth was taken fully into royal possession. In 1173-74 Henry was forced to garrison the castle with more robust forces during the rebellion of his sons, who were backed by the French crown. At this time the castle compound would have consisted of the great keep, an inner bailey wall, a basic causeway across a small lake and a local area for hunting.
For the next few years the castle received very little attention until the reign of Henry’s son John, when he embarked on an extensive program of rebuilding and reinforcing several major royal castles, including Kenilworth, this was most likely instigated by the growing animosity between the crown and the Barons in the later part of John’s reign. Beginning in 1210 he would spend over £1100 building an outer bailey wall in stone, as well as the improvement of other defences, effectively making Kenilworth into one of the largest and strongest English castles of the time.
One of the most significant improvements he made was to dam the Finham and Inchford brooks , creating the Great Mere, providing Kenilworth with one of the largest artificial lake defences in England. The foreground of this photo would have been totally engulfed by the water defences of the Great Mere.
During the Barons’ War John was forced to hand over the castle as part of the guarantee of Magna Carta, it would however soon revert back to royal control in the early part of the reign of his son Henry III.
Henry III granted Kenilworth to this brother-in-law Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester in 1244, when relations between the two men were quite friendly. Simon had married Henry’s sister Eleanor after the death of her first husband William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (son of the illustrious William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Regent of England during Henry’s minority).
Considering what we now know happened later on, and with the benefit of modern hindsight, it really makes me wonder just how many times over the ensuing years Henry had cause to regret that decision… I imagine there was many of them.
The fabric of the relationship between the two men would slowly unravel as Simon sided with Henry’s barons who were becoming more and more disgruntled with the favouritism he extended to his De Lusignan half brothers. Henry had been willingly granting them both titles and lands that the barons felt should have be given to Englishmen, their aim was not to depose Henry, but to force him to be advised by a counsel of Barons rather than by his favourites . By 1263, Simon’s military prowess and his indomitable personality put him at the head of this conflict, that would become known as the Second Baron’s War. This would be fought against first Henry, and then later when he came to manhood, his son Prince Edward. The baronial stronghold of Kenilworth became the centre of Simon’s operations throughout the hostilities, and after the Battle of Lewes in May 1264 when both the King and the Prince Edward were captured, it was here at Kenilworth that the Prince was held for a short time before he was moved to Hereford. For over a year Simon had the King in his custody, and ruled in his name, until August 1265 when Simon was killed at the Battle of Evesham, this defeat by the Prince Edward marked the end of the war. The surviving rebels regrouped at Kenilworth where they were besieged by the Prince, this is believed to have been the longest siege in English history, lasting almost 6 months before the rebels surrendered the castle, it was also at the time the largest siege in terms of the number of soldiers involved.
The year following this siege Henry granted Kenilworth to his son Edmund Crouchback and created him the 1st Earl of Lancaster.The Great Hall was built by Thomas 2nd Earl of Lancaster between 1314 and 1317, and I have to admit walking through these ruins and imagining the events that unfolded within these walls was truly awe-inspiring.
If only they could talk, oh the tales they would tell, they would tell of how Thomas would be captured at Battle of Boroughbridge in 1322 and executed for treason, the result of his opposition to King Edward II. Or how his estates including Kenilworth would then be confiscated by the crown, and how Edward and his wife Isabella of France would spend Christmas 1323 at the castle amidst major celebrations
They would also tell how in 1326 following Edward II’s capture during the rebellion by his wife and her lover Roger Mortimer, he would be brought to Kenilworth, under the custody of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, where a deputation of leading barons would attempt to persuade him to abdicate the throne in favour of his son Prince Edward. When this failed and he was informed that he had been deposed it was in the great hall at Kenilworth that he would formally resign as King on 21st January, 1327. Originally Edward would be held at Kenilworth but unfortunately it would prove to be not the most ideal location to keep him confined, due to concern that there were many in the midlands region who still supported him and therefore increased possibility of an attempted rescue. Isabella and Roger decide to move him to Berkeley Castle, which was carried out secretly one night and it was there that Edward died under suspicious circumstances later that year.
Kenilworth continued to be part of the lands of the Earls of Lancaster for the next four decades until in 1351 Edward III turned the Earldom of Lancaster into a duchy, thereby creating Henry Grosmont the 1st Duke of Lancaster.
When Henry died in 1361, John of Gaunt (third surviving son of Edward III) became Duke of Lancaster by right of his wife Blanche who was sole heiress to her fathers lands, effectively making him the wealthiest noble in the land next to the King.
Gaunt was responsible for the building of much of the northern part of the inner bailey between 1372 and 1380, this part of the castle is considered by historian Anthony Emery to be “the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant for its scale, form and quality of workmanship".
The most significant of Gaunt's buildings is his great hall, this replaced the great hall built earlier in the century on the same site, and was strongly influenced by the design of his father’s great hall at Windsor Castle. Standing in that vast space, I couldn't help but envision the extravagant feasts and grand celebrations that once took place here. I could almost hear the lively chatter and clinking of goblets echoing down through the centuries. In 1399 when Gaunt’s son became Henry IV, Kenilworth was incorporated into the estates of the crown. It was a favourite residence of the Lancastrian kings due to the excellent hunting.
Following the Battle of Bosworth and the birth of the Tudor dynasty, Kenilworth remained one of the crowns most illustrious fortresses. Both Henry VII and Henry VIII enjoyed the use of this magnificent castle.
In 1553 John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, de facto regent in the later years of Edward VI’s reign, was granted Kenilworth, and it was he who had the existing stables built, unfortunately he did not get to enjoy it for long as he was executed later that year for his part in putting his daughter-in-law, Lady Jane Grey, on the throne in place of Mary I.
Probably the most extensive improvements to Kenilworth however, happened when Queen Elizabeth I granted the castle to her close childhood friend and favourite Robert Dudley (John’s son) in 1563. Very soon after this he became Earl of Leicester and welcomed her to Kenilworth four times during her progresses throughout her realm.
Dudley was definitely ambitious, sparing absolutely no expense in a bid to impress his queen. He began by creating an enclosed hunting park of approximately 800 acres with incredible views, before constructing Leicesters Gatehouse, a beautiful building that gave access to the park from the castle. He also added a 600ft long bridge to carry hunting parties over the mere to get to the park.
The other addition was a four-storey tower within the castle’s inner court, known as Leicester’s Tower, this was designed and built specifically for the Queen’s use, first in 1572 and then improved again for her visit in 1575. Also prior to her 1575 visit, Leicester laid out a spectacular privy garden for his queen, complete with perfectly manicured paths, bowers, arbours and seats.
The Elizabethan garden that you see today at Kenilworth is a recreation of this very garden, based on the remarkable eyewitness account of Robert Langham, an official who apparently snuck into the garden one day while the queen was out hunting. In 2009 when English Heritage reconstructed this spectacular example of an Elizabethan garden it was his description they used to keep it as authentic as possible.
Strolling through this oasis of tranquillity and peace, breathing in the sweet scent of flowers and marveling at the vibrant colors was the most incredible feeling. It's no wonder Queen Elizabeth I was captivated by this place!
In closing what can I say… Kenilworth's rich history can be felt in every inch of this incredible ruin, through each and every stone, a captivating journey through time, an opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of England's past, and truly a remarkable experience that will leave you totally in awe.
Do you feel like you need to visit this amazing historical site, you will find this castle and many others on the itinerary for our Plantagenets in England tour.
I really hope you have enjoyed reading this blog, if so please comment and share with your friends.
Max
All photos © Plantagenet Discoveries
