Rochester Castle

Situated on the east bank of the river Medway, Rochester Castle once guarded the crossing on the major road from London to the coast.

The ruins of these impressive stone walls and the towering keep stand as a tangible reminder of its significance to the English crown. Witness to several key conflicts of the medieval period, its formidable defences and strategic location made it a vital stronghold throughout the Plantagenet Era.

The city of Rochester was originally a Roman settlement (Durobrivae) situated on the east bank of the river Medway, it was walled from the 3rd century but was largely abandoned by the early 5th century with the end of Roman rule in Britain.

At the time of  the Norman Conquest a timber and earthworks structure would have stood in the south-west quadrant of the walled city. In the aftermath of the Norman victory at Hastings, the castle was given to Bishop Odo, the King's half brother. In 1088 during the rebellion over the succession to the throne, Rochester saw its first military action when it was besieged by William II. After the garrison surrendered, the King then commissioned Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester to rebuild the defenses in stone, and today we can see remains of that work in the part of the west curtain wall that still survives.

One of the most impressive surviving medieval castle buildings in England due to its incredible height (125 feet), the massive keep that was built by William de Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury still dominates the castle today. Henry I had granted the castle to the Archbishop in perpetuity, and it remained under  the control of the Archbishops of Canterbury throughout the 12th century, even during the period of strife between Henry II and Thomas Becket.

Now we come to the First Barons War (1215-1217), and what I consider to be one of the most fascinating tales of the Plantagenet era, and also one of the few times when King John really showed some mettle.

In October 1215, when baronial forces led by William de Aubigny, captured the castle to block the King’s approach to London, John wasted no time in besieging it. Despite John’s best efforts however, including pounding the castle day and night with five massive stone throwing machines the garrison continued to hold out. He also tried undermining the walls but to no avail, the castle was simply too strong, and even after two months, nothing seemed to penetrate the defenses. We can only imagine John’s frustration, after all, it had not been a good year for him, in June he had been forced to sign the great charter Magna Carta, and now he seemed to be constantly losing ground in this ongoing strife with his Barons, the prospect of them inviting Prince Louis of France to take the throne was becoming a real possibility.

It was then that King John came up with his most ingenious secret weapon… the humble pig! He ordered for 40 of the fattest pigs that were not suitable for eating to be brought to him. The mind boggles at what on earth the castle garrison must have thought, seeing a herd of fat pigs being led into the enemy camp. The pigs were slaughtered and the fat collected, which John then had placed under the props where they had been attempting to undermine the great tower. After that it was a case of just setting it on fire - and down came the tower, very simple but oh so very effective. The garrison retreated further into the castle but it was not long before they ran out of food and water and surrendered. The tower was rebuilt but this time it was made round instead of square, to repel any projectiles that may be used in future sieges.

In 1264 the castle once again saw military action in the Second Baron’s War when rebel armies led by Simon de Montfort and Gilbert de Clare entered the city and tried to take the castle. This time however the result was very different, the rebel army was forced to give up the siege after one week when they received word that the royal army of Henry III was on their way to relieve the garrison. The castle had received much damage during the siege and this was not repaired until the following century, during the reign of Edward III.  

Not surprisingly, due to its strategic location on the road from Kent to London, it would not be long before it was once again the scene of fighting, this time in 1381 during the Peasants’ Revolt, when Rochester was captured and ransacked by a group of rebels. 

In the following centuries, the castle’s military significance waned, and it fell out of use. Much of its materials were used elsewhere and the crown's custodianship was slowly relinquished. When we consider that out of the 4 times this castle was besieged, three of them were during the reign of Plantagenet kings, it really does stand as a living testament to the power struggles, and political upheaval of this turbulent period in medieval history.

The ruins of this Grade 1 listed building and Scheduled Monument are open to the public, and are under the guardianship of English Heritage. On our Plantagenets in England tour, we bring the past to life, immerse yourself in the medieval atmosphere as we uncover the significance of this amazing historical site.

Max

Rochester Castle photos © Plantagenet Discoveries