Berkeley Castle: beautiful and so rich in history

Berkeley Castle stands on a low hill in sight of the Severn estuary and is an appealing blend of Norman fortress and later Medieval mansion. The Domesday Book records that it was founded by William FitzOsbern, Earl of Hereford, who was a powerful ally of William the Conqueror and who makes regular guest appearances in this blog. Since he died in 1071, the castle must pre-date that. His sub-tenant adopted the name de Berkeley and the first 3 generation were all called Roger (just to confuse later historians).  The last was dispossessed in 1152 for withholding allegiance to the House of Plantagenet during the Anarchy.
  The feudal barony was granted to Robert FitzHardinge, a supporter of the Plantagenets, and he, amazingly, was the founder of the Berkeley family which still holds the castle today. Complex? It gets worse: his father, Maurice, had married Alice de Berkeley and from then on most were called Maurice. He received a royal charter from Henry II giving permission to rebuild a stone castle defending the Bristol/Gloucester road and the Welsh border. All this makes Berkeley Castle the 3rd oldest continuously occupied castle in England after the royal fortresses of the Tower of London and Windsor Castle, and the oldest to be continuously owned and occupied by the same family.

Architecture
   The original was a motte castle and, unusually, the keep was not strengthened in stone on top, but the sides of the mound were cut away to form a cylinder, revetted, and the keep constructed around it. Much of the rest is 14th century, built for Thomas de Berkeley (they had thought up another Christian name by then) and visitors can gaze at the battlements dropping 60 feet down to the lawn (all the surrounding area could be flooded in defence), trip steps to cause the enemy to fall over one another (this belies the idea that the door at the top was just large enough for a horseman), murder holes, portcullis slots and huge barred doors.
  Inside, there are grand rooms: the dining room with its 18th century silver service on display was converted from a billiard room as can be detected from the lights and the Great Hall boasts a fine 14th century ceiling. The picture gallery, drawing rooms, buttery (nothing to do with butter of course) and kitchen are all of interest and it is well worth taking the guided tour to learn all the details about their history. I found particular interest in the tale of the bosomy Mary Cole, portrayed here, who could have altered the course of history.

Famous connections
  The best known is the murder of Edward II in 1327, which took place here, committed by his gaolers, Sir John Maltravers and Sir Thomas Gurney, although Berkeley himself was probably absent, being, as Marlowe says, "so pitiful". The alleged method was considered appropriate for what was perceived as his sexual deviancy and also unlikely to leave incriminating marks on the outside of his body - I will say no more. Recently there has been a revisionist alternative to this gruesome bit of history, in which Edward successfully escaped, was not recaptured, and died much later elsewhere. A less well-known and pathetic incident is related in Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle: this concerns the means of making the king less recognisable by the shaving en route to the castle of Edward's head and beard "in a most beastly manner" with cold puddle water. The King said he must have warm water and so "shed forth a shower of tears. Never was King turned out of a kingdom in such a manner." What is generally accepted is that Edward was kept in insanitary conditions above a stinking pile of dead or diseased animals in the expectation that this would undermine his constitution and lead to his death.
  Other royal visitors were: King John (the barons of the west convened here before Runnymede); Henry III; Margaret, wife of Henry VI; Henry VII, Queen Elizabeth I; George IV when Prince of Wales and William IV when Duke of Clarence. Horace Walpole came and was unimpressed! There is much ancient furniture including Sir Francis Drakes's cabin chest and Elizabeth I's bedspread.
  It is said the A Midsummer Night's Dream was written for a Berkeley wedding.

Other points of interest
   As you walk around you might notice a small breach in the wall, a customary bit of slighting during the Civil War: the family were allowed to remain provided they did not repair this damage and, to this day, all they have done is make the wall safe, since they are still under orders from the original Act of Parliament.

In the nearby church, St. Mary's, bullet holes can be seen in the doors, dating from the Civil War and, in the churchyard, you can look at the tomb of Dickie Pearce, the last court jester, who died falling from the minstrel's gallery in 1728. Gertrude Jekyll had a hand in planting the terraces - the gardens specialise in scented flowers and sell some of them. The story goes that Elizabeth I, apart from playing bowls on the green, hunted and shot so many deer that the rest were moved to a park some miles away where she failed to find them. (So did we and settled for reasonably priced CAKE in the tea rooms in the attractive little town, which also dates from Medieval times.) There is a Butterfly House with interesting specimens and a café yurt (selling delicious velvet CAKE!) The house of Edward Jenner, whose invention of the small pox vaccine eventually completely eradicated this terrible disease, is close by and can be visited: it contains the horns of Blossom, the bovine heroine of his original experiment.
   Gertrude Jekyll described the atmosphere of the castle: "The giant walls and mighty buttresses look as if they have been carved by wind and weather out of some solid rock-mass, rather than wrought by human handiwork". In some evening light "it cheats the eye into something ethereal, without substance, built up for the moment into towering masses of pearly vapour."


My readers have sharp powers of forensic analysis and always note when I go off the route of a Monmouthshire bus but I assure you that Berkeley Castle can be reached by public transport. (I was taken by car though on this occasion - cheat!) Do check opening times, however, as it shuts in the winter and hosts weddings towards the end of each week. Click here to find out. William FitzOsbern has already interested us as the founder of Chepstow Castle, which is not far away, and as a powerful Marcher Lord.

Caerphilly Castle: huge and imposing

Overall
  If the surrounding lakes are taken into account, Caerphilly Castle is the largest in Wales, second largest in Britain, and is stunning in its grandeur. Although guidebooks make much of its not being situated on a crag, it is sufficiently elevated from the town side to have overwhelmed me as I stepped off my bus.
   It was not built by or for a king but by "Red" Gilbert de Clare, a man of enormous wealth and fiery hair, hence the nickname (in the Middle Ages it did not do to have physical oddities or else you were liable to be called Curthose - short-arse - or Wry-neck.) It rose with amazing speed between 11th April 1268 and 1271 to counteract the political and military threat posed by Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd to the Marcher lords of South-East Wales, although its function as a fortress was relatively short-lived. The concentric design preceded and inspired that of the castles built by Edward I in North Wales. Although Gilbert, Earl of Gloucester, was only 25 when the castle was started, it was a huge and visionary undertaking. It was both the result and cause of strife in Glamorgan.

Design
   This concentricity was a development from earlier castles which had relied on a strong keep for their defence: attack strategies had caught up with that and, from the 12th century onwards, builders trusted instead to double circuits of high walls with even taller round towers thrusting outwards so that arrows could be shot right down to their base. These walls would have crenellations, arrow loops and, at Caerphilly, the main gatehouse is as large as a traditional keep. The idea of having 2 gatehouses was modern, the overhead space being used for the guard and for accommodation.
   The surrounding artificial lakes, which are much wider than a moat, were defensive because they made the castle very difficult to storm directly as it was impossible to bring siege engines close or to undermine the walls. The waters prevented a blind spot at the foot of the walls where attackers could remain hidden. It is thought that de Clare had noted the water defences at Kenilworth and applied similar here.

History

  De Clare was apparently headstrong and impetuous as a youth and initially supported Simon de Montfort in his struggle against King Henry III. De Montfort, in turn, was backed by Prince Llwyelyn ap Gruffudd. Gilbert then became disillusioned with that faction as the power of the Welsh Prince posed a threat to his massive interests in the Marches. He went over to Prince Edward, later Edward I, and fought with him at the Battle of Evesham in which de Montfort was defeated and savagely slaughtered. His supporters fled to Kenilworth where de Clare, attacking, encountered the defensive value of waterworks in a siege lasting from Easter to Christmas 1266. Edward, on becoming king, reacted with outrage to the failure of the Welsh Prince to obey 5 summonses to pay homage and drove him out of his possessions: his final defeat and death came in 1282.
   Caerphilly Castle could then become a more peaceful site as a centre of administration for the de Clares although there were further less serious troubles including a fine imposed on Gilbert of £6,666 by the king. A later revolt by Llewellyn Bren led to an attack by 10,000 men but the castle suffered only in having its gate and drawbridge damaged or burnt, although the town and its mills were destroyed. Gilbert's son, Gilbert who inherited, was killed at Bannockburn.
   The next main story is that of Hugh le Despenser the younger, a royal favourite, who married Eleanor, Earl Gilbert the Red's eldest daughter. Hated by almost everyone, he caused the surrendering Llewellyn Bren to be hanged, drawn and quartered, which led to a rebellion by powerful Marcher lords against him. He was banished but returned and used his influence over Edward II to amass huge wealth and power: it was at this time that he spent effort and money on the Great Hall at Caerphilly. Isabella of France, Edward's estranged queen, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, then landed in Suffolk and undermined the position of Hugh le Despenser. The king and Despenser sheltered at Caerphilly and left much of the royal treasure there when they moved on, both to barbarous deaths.
   Isabella's force besieged the castle and an inventory shows how well provided the fortress was: 800 lance shafts; 14 Danish axes; 1,130 crossbow bolts fitted with hedgehog quills; 118 quarters of wheat; 118 quarters of beans; 78 ox carcasses; 280 of mutton; 72 hams; 1,856 stockfish; 6 tuns of red wine and 1 white (though the clerk noted that 10 inches of the white were lacking!) In all £14,000 of treasure was found as well as nearly 600 silver vessels. Amongst the king's personal affairs was a black cap decorated with butterflies and pearls - how such details bring history to life! Later again, the castle fell into disrepair and was described by John Leland in 1539-ish as having "waulles of a wonderful thiknes." It became an attraction for seekers of the picturesque, being then restored to some extent by, most importantly, the 4th Marquis of Bute.

Main Features

   For the modern visitor, the general impression of the castle is one of immense power and grandeur and this extends to the Great Hall. In many castles, one has to imagine this amenity but here it is visible and redolent of the lavish entertainment for which it was built and restored.       We have already admired the lakes created by the damming of the Nant y Gledyr stream and have passed under the gateway where once our arrival would have been observed with suspicion by the guard. There are lots of little doorways and nooks to peer into and potter down, murder holes, arrow slits and portcullis grooves to notice but, before you leave and head for your large slice of CAKE, it is worth pausing to gaze at the leaning tower and inspect the 4 impressive replica Medieval siege weapons which include a trebuchet. This war machine is full-sized and has a 20 foot throwing arm which would hurl a 25 pound missile capable of smashing a wooden building in a bailey or crashing through a lead roof. In Caerphilly the missile would drop into the lake - but what a splash! The tower leans probably because of ground subsidence and has attained an angle of 10 degrees. Almost incredibly its outer face is undamaged and its features are original.

Your visit
  Caerphilly is well served by buses, including the frequent no 50 from Newport, Gwent.
To see opening times, click here.  Other castles of interest in South-East Wales include Chepstow Castle and Raglan Castle, whilst, for a sample of the type of entertainment that might be provided in the Great Hall, you could read my article on Roland le Pettour, the favourite jester of the second Henry. Your dog would love a walk in the parklands surrounding Caldicot Castle and could learn a good deal of useful history as it gambols. A little further afield is the impressive Goodrich Castle with excellent walking nearby.

Goodrich Castle

Position
  Goodrich Castle is of Norman origin and is situated at a key location between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye. Perhaps for this reason it seems to have been affected by the strife concerned with the English monarchy more than Welsh castles nearby, some of which had a relatively quiet time until the Civil War.
   Poised on the River Wye, near an ancient crossing point, its architecture was influenced by defensive needs and, once ruined, it became part of the itinerary of seekers after the picturesque. For some reason it now seems to me to be less famous than Raglan or Chepstow, although just as magnificent.
Construction
    It is possible that the earthworks around the castle were part of a hillfort dating from the Iron Age and the history of the castle itself begins with an entry in the Domesday Book of 1086 as belonging to Godric Mappeson, hence the name, Goodrich. Nothing of the probably wooden original survives. The area was part of the Welsh Marches, a group of territories granted to Norman nobles by William I to help keep the turbulent Welsh in order.
   The comparatively small keep (sometimes called Macbeth's Tower) in light grey sandstone is early Norman and had one smallish chamber on each floor measuring 18ft by 15ft (5.5 by 4.5 m) with thick walls and a mound around it for defence - the lower courses of stonework are still rougher than the rest. Around the keep is a virtually square structure guarded by 3 towers built during the 1280's from darker sandstone. These were protected on the vulnerable South and East sides by huge spurs which were intended to prevent undermining.
   In the 4th corner is the gatehouse where you enter, with one tower larger than the other and previously guarded by portcullises, murder holes and a drawbridge. Before you go into it you will cross the barbican which followed a similar design to that in the Tower of London and which had its own gate so that attackers could be trapped there. There is a chapel included here which was rare: the altar may have pre-dated the castle.
    The bailey had a number of luxurious large domestic facilities including a Great Hall, a Solar (living area from the French "sol"), kitchen, buttery (from French "bouteille") and pantry. The hall, overlooking the Wye had huge windows and fireplace. The living quarters were lavish as can be deduced from the unusual number of "garderobes" (latrines) for the comfort of inhabitants. We also know this from the detailed financial accounts of Joan, Countess of Pembroke and widow of William de Valence who would have had nearly 200 people to accommodate. There is a garderobe tower, unusually large, with the ultimate upper-class facility: multiple loos which could be used by several people at the same time. (You can see the outlets into the ditch from the East Wall.)  Beyond are the ruins of the stables destroyed in the Civil War.

    An example of good living: on Easter Sunday 1297, the kitchen ended the Lenten fast of the household with 3 quarters of beef, 3 pigs, half a boar, half a salmon, all from their store, half a carcass of beef at 10 shillings, mutton at 15 pence, 9 kid at 3s 8d, 17 capons, 2 veal calves, 600 eggs and more than 24 pigeons. Some banquet!

History
   

   Because of changes of ownership over the centuries, the various parts of the castle were built and added by different people. During the 1130's, the rival supporters of Stephen and Matilda were battling for power. William de Baderon, the next owner, (why is everyone in the period called William?) passed the castle on to his son, Baderon of Monmouth. He married into the de Clare family of the Stephen faction and had to seize the castle during the fighting. The de Baderons were a relatively poor family and perhaps could not afford to build some of the usual amenities. In about 1138 Stephen masterminded the transfer of Goodrich to Gilbert fitz Gilbert de Clare whereas the other nobles of Hereford supported Matilda. Later, Richard de Clare (Strongbow) lost the favour of King Henry II, son of Matilda, and the castle was taken into crown hands.
   In 1203, King John transferred the castle to William Marshal, one of the greatest knights of all times, who had to defend it from Welsh attack, particularly in a famous incident in 1216 when he was forced to leave Henry III's coronation banquet in Gloucester to rush back and fortify the castle. Although no documentary evidence survives, it is likely that he significantly upgraded its defences as he was a mighty castle renovator in Pembroke, Usk and Chepstow.
   William de Valence obtained the castle by marriage to Joan de Munchensi, becoming fantastically rich thereby but being obliged to enlarge the concentric castle at enormous expense, demolishing Marshal's construction, in order to defend it against the raids of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd into English territories. By the middle of the 1320's England suffered from the oppression of the Marcher lords, the Despensers, royal favourites of King Edward II. Hugh le Despenser kidnapped the then owner, Elizabeth de Comyn, in London and imprisoned her in her own castle in Goodrich. She signed it over but then married Richard Talbot who seized it back just before Queen Isabella, the "she-wolf of France", landed in 1326 and deposed the Despensers plus her husband Edward II (whose terrible murder she may have arranged.)
   Owen Glyndwr's forces invaded the Goodrich area in 1404 and 1405 but Gilbert Talbot fought back and the threat diminished in the 15th century which meant that the domestic aspects of the castle could then be expanded. During the Wars of the Roses the Talbots supported the Lancastrians but John died in their defeat in 1460 and the castle passed to the Yorkist, William Herbert, but later came back into Talbot possession to son John (by now we are confused by Johns!)

The Civil War

   
   One of the most bitter sieges of the Civil War took place at Goodrich: Richard Tyler, a local lawyer, had become tenant and constable of the castle and major renovations had been undertaken in the early 1630's. With his support the Earl of Stamford garrisoned the castle for the Parliamentary forces until December 1643 when it was occupied by the Royalist, Sir Henry Lingen,  whose troops of 200 men with 90 horses burned surrounding areas. In 1646, Colonels John Birch and Robert Kyrle, on the Parliament side, advanced from winning the Siege of Hereford and the struggle was increased by personal hatred between Birch and Lingen. Lingen set fire to the stables in the night but failed to win until later that year. He destroyed the water supply and ordered the building locally of "Roaring Meg", a massively powerful mortar capable of firing gunpowder-filled shells of 187-198 lbs in weight (85-90 kg.) This pugnacious lady now sits peacefully in the courtyard with an accessory of a pile of cannon balls nearby. Finally the Royalists surrendered having merely 4 barrels of gunpowder and 30 of beer left and marched out to the tune of "Sir Henry Lingen's Fancy". Their side left in style at Raglan also.

Comments
   In the early 16th century John Leland noted: ""They cary their prisoners to Castel Goderyce sumwhat owt of Erchynfeld, but longging to the Erle of Shrewsbyri." (Love that spelling!)  He was noting the fact that the castle was abandoned as a residence and was used for judicial purposes. Like many picturesque ruins, the castle attracted later sight-seers including William Gilpin who popularised the tourist craze in 1782 and who called the scene from the river one of the grandest views and "correctly picturesque", high praise from a man who wanted to take a mallet to Tintern Abbey to improve its appeal. Yet he managed to be grumpy about guidebooks: "full of intricate and tiresome details, and some undoubtedly incorrect."
   The early Victorian historian Theodore Fielding was moved to "solemnity that is inspired by the sight of grandeur sinking in dignity, into decay." Artists David Cox and William Callow visited and painted and William Wordsworth called it "the noblest ruin in Herefordshire", immortalising his visit in the 1798 poem: "We are Seven" inspired by meeting a little girl there. A window was added in the chapel in June 1992 to commemorate the personnel who died in service during the development of radar. RAF Halifax V9977 caught fire and crashed a mile south of the castle whilst flying a test mission in June 1942 killing all 11 on board. I feel this adds poignancy and modernity to the sense of past warfare.

A little extra
   In the early 1820's Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick wanted to buy the site but was refused: out of pique, presumably, he then built the neo-Gothic Goodrich Court next door, an act which greatly annoyed Wordsworth on his return visit since it spoilt the view. Personally, I'd love to have seen it. In fact, given a choice between a tour of Meyrick's folly and re-reading "We are Seven" ... The Court has been demolished but its gatehouse can be seen on the main road.

Your visit
  Arriving by the no 34 bus (Monmouth/Ross-on-Wye) may be less romantic than the river tour but the view of the castle as you approach still takes your breath away. There is a good shop, excellent café and toilets at the entrance (go before you go) and you can obtain a very helpful audio-guide free of charge. For prices and opening times click here. There are lovely walks in the area. Other interesting castles not too far away are Raglan Castle, Chepstow Castle and Usk Castle. Monmouth, at one end of your bus route has the castle where Henry V was born. I have merely summarised the fascinating history of Goodrich and will write in more detail about some of the people connected with it in future posts.