Building England’s Castles A look at some of the chosen locations and building materials, and a peek into their history Kathy Deraitus September 1, 2006

Locations of Corfe, Lulworth and Portland Castles Map by Google.com

Introduction Castles  Location  Materials  Design

Location Military Defenses  Kings and Queens  Lords and Ladies  Lowliest Peasants Show of Strength and Power/Royal Retreat Mighty Symbol of Middle Ages

Materials— Historic Progression Hill forts of ditches and banks Timber fortifications Stone

Corfe Castle Located northwest of Swanage on the Isle of Purbeck

Corfe Castle—Location Built on a natural conical hill of chalk Overlooking a ravine used as a main route to the inland

Corfe Castle—Materials Local Purbeck limestone

Corfe Castle—Materials Wall filler— chert pebbles Wide wall structures were made up of inner and outer walls and filler material

Corfe Castle—Design The “Keep”, or the inner tower, was the heart of the Norman castle

Corfe Castle—Design Herringbone pattern comes from a Saxon style of stone work

Corfe Castle—History Untimely visit of King Edward

Lulworth Castle—Location Sits on 20 sq miles of hunting lands Beautiful coastline Built as a hunting lodge for entertaining royalty

Lulworth Castle—Materials Constructed from Purbeck-Portland limestone Quarried from Tilly Whim Caves, Dancing Ledge and Winspit

Lulworth Castle—Design Classical appearance Not built for defense Built for looks— for attracting royalty

Portland Castle—Location Overlooks Portland harbor on the northeast coast of the Isle of Portland Strategic defensive location English Heritage Photo Library

Portland Castle—Materials Made from local white Portland limestone Quarried from the Isle of Portland English Heritage Photo Library

Portland Castle—Design Built as an artillery fort Also known as a device fort Henry VIII was personally involved in the castle’s design English Heritage Photo Library

Summary Location  Chosen according to needs—usually for defense Materials  Evolved from dirt to timber to stone  Stone quarried locally Design  Critical for military success