The origin of the days of the week in English, are rather different to our neighbours in Europe. The all-conquering Romans chose to adopt celestial bodies to name the days of the week, which aligned with the Gods they worshipped. They believed there were seven …
King Edward III was born at Windsor Castle on 13 November 1312. He was the first son of Edward II and Isabella of France. Edward acceded his father at the tender age of 14, and went on to become one of England’s most popular and …
King Edward II was born in Caernarfon Castle, Wales on 25 April 1284. He was the fourth son of King Edward I and Eleanor of Castile. Edward’s three older brothers died during childhood, leaving him as heir to the throne of England. In 1301, when Edward …
The great medieval walled city of Carcassonne stands high upon a hilltop, on the eastside of the Aude river. It dominates the valley, which sits between the Pyrenees and Massive Central mountain ranges, in southern France. The citadel has vast inner and outer stone walls, …
Corfe Castle sits high upon the Purbeck hills in Dorset, England. The hilly castle site is located in a natural gap between a vast line of chalk hills, which is where Corfe Castle got its name. Corfe meaning ‘a cutting’ in old English, which refers to …
King Edward I was born in Westminster on 17 June 1239, and was the eldest son of King Henry III and Eleanor of Provence. He was named after his father’s favourite saint, King Edward the Confessor, a saxon name which was not often given to …
King Henry III was born in Winchester Castle on 1 October 1207, the eldest son of King John and Isabella of Angouleme. At the tender age of nine, his tyrannical father John died, and Henry of Winchester became King Henry III of England. As Henry was too …
Read moreKing Henry III – The Longest Reign in Medieval England
Warkworth Castle crowns the hilltop just south of the ancient village of Warkworth in Northumberland. The natural spur sits in a tight loop on the River Conquet, under a mile from the coastline, and guards the important waterway from invaders. The site dates back to …
Read moreWarkworth Castle – A Symbol of Power for the Percy Family
King John was the fourth and youngest legitimate son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was born on Christmas Eve 1166 at Beaumont Palace in Oxford, and was soon moved to the Abbey of Fontevrault in Anjou, to lead a life in the …
King Richard I was the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the most successful. Favoured by his mother, King Richard I became an outstanding warrior and something of a national hero. A far cry from his tyrannical younger brother, John. Richard became known as the …
King Henry II was the first in a long line of Plantagenet kings of England. Also known as Henry Plantagenet, Curtmantle or FitzEmpress, Henry was the son of Matilda and Geoffrey of Anjou, and grandson of King Henry I. He grew to be a charismatic, …
Alnwick Castle is a vast stone fortress, guarding the nearby River Aln in Northumberland. Its history dates back to the Norman times, when Alnwick was part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria. Early in the 11th century, Northumbria came under attack from Malcolm II …
Read moreAlnwick Castle – the Border Fortress of the Dukes of Northumberland
The king, Stephen of England, was not nominated as heir to the throne of England. His cousin, Matilda, who was Henry I’s daughter, was instead. Matilda (or Maud as she is sometimes known) had the strongest claim, and her father rallied for an oath to be …
King Henry I of England was the youngest son of William the Conqueror. He was also the only Norman king who could read and write. This education came from his upbringing in the church, unlike his siblings. Henry I had a long and successful reign …
Bamburgh Castle is a mighty stronghold, located high on a crag of dolerite rock, overlooking the Northumbrian coast. The rock forms part of the vast Whin Sill rock formation, which runs across Northumbria. The site of Bamburgh Castle has been inhabited since the Stone Age, and has …
Read moreBamburgh Castle – the Seat of Ancient Kings of Northumbria
Barnard Castle sits high above the River Tees in Northumbria. The location is perfectly situated with steep cliffs either side. The River Tees flows to the west, and there used to be a Roman road leading to a ford in the river to the north. …
Read moreBarnard Castle – a Northern Stronghold Favoured by Richard III