Rochester castle when was it built

It would have been easy to fire arrows at approaching marauders. The importance of the castle quickly declined, and stones and materials from part of the castle were used to built adjacent Upnor Castle — an Elizabethan artillery fort, which began construction in Indeed, when it came to the English Civil War, the castle was in such a poor state that it was ignored by both Royalists and Parliamentarians.

Of course, this was really a lucky outcome — many surviving castles were intentionally destroyed after the war ended. When the c18th arrived, the castle began to become a tourist attraction. Indeed, in the late c19th, Rochester captured the imagination of Charles Dickens and he described its winding streets, overbearing arches and mighty cathedral in Great Expectations and also the Pickwick Papers.

Simply hop on a train from London St Pancras station is your best bet , and the high speed line reaches Rochester in about 45m. The castle is a 10minute walk along the towns Historic High Street. Best come visit Rochester Castle as part of a daytrip from London or even Canterbury. Discover more here. My book, Exploring English Castles , is filled with stories and more than spectacular photos.

Footer Enjoying Exploring Castles? Then Buy My Book! Love discovering the secrets of English castles? Want to own a beautiful piece of English history? The site may have been the location where the Battle of Medway AD 43 was fought in the earliest phase of the Roman invasion.

In this action, mounted Batavian troops forded the river and defeated the British warlord Togodumnus. Shortly after, as the Romans consolidated their hold on southern England, a bridge was constructed at the site linking Canterbury Durovernum and Dover Portus Dubris with London Londinium. A fort may have been established nearby at the same time although this has not been located and evidence may have been obliterated by the later medieval castle.

If a fort was established at Rochester, it probably had a relatively short lifespan and the site was soon adapted into a civilian settlement which served as the administrative centre civitas of the Cantiaci tribe. It was known as Durobrivae which means 'town or fort by the bridges'. A town wall, consisting of an earth rampart fronted by a ditch, was built during the late second century AD. This enclosed an irregular wedged shaped area of 23 acres which extended from the river. It was probably constructed for taxation and administrative purposes rather than defence but was rebuilt in stone circa-AD The town remained occupied until the withdrawal of Roman forces in the fifth century AD but then went into decline.

Together with the crossing, Rochester once again developed into an important town. The old Roman defences were also enhanced enabling the town to successfully resist another attack by the Danes in AD Rochester Castle was raised by William I in the immediate aftermath of the Norman invasion. The crossing point over the Medway was a key nodal point ensuring the Normans could advance on London but still have secure access back to the south coast and thus Normandy.

The fortification was an earth and timber ringwork castle built in the south-western corner of the former Roman town defences. The new castle straddled these ancient walls, presumably to reduce construction time.

This came with a large package of lands including Rochester which became one of his primary residences. Odo still held the fortification when William I died in and ownership of Normandy and England was divided between his two eldest sons, Robert Curthose and William Rufus. Like most magnates, Odo owned lands in both territories and wanted a single ruler. The new King mobilised his forces and successfully captured Odo at Pevensey Castle.

He was taken to Rochester, where his men refused to surrender to the King, and an attempt was made to compel them to capitulate. Instead, the garrison sallied out and rescued Odo taking him back into the town.

The infuriated William besieged both castle and town for several weeks before the garrison ultimately surrendered after which Odo went into exile. Following its capture by Royal forces, William II instructed the castle to be rebuilt in stone and entrusted the task to Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester.

Despite his ecclesiastical calling, he was a proficient castle builder having previously constructed the White Tower in London.

The timber walls of the first castle were demolished and replaced with a new stone built curtain wall. Concurrently he also started rebuilding the Cathedral. Accordingly work started on the Great Keep the same year and continued through to its completion in This vast tower was one of the largest of its type and still dominates the skyline of the modern town. The stone curtain wall was built by the Bishop of Rochester in the late eleventh century.

Thirty years later, the Archbishop of Canterbury added the Great Keep. In relations between King John and his barons were at the point of collapse. The sealing of Magna Carta was an attempt to secure a peace but, when John revoked it, the country descended into civil war. With London in the hands of the rebellious barons, the King started raising an army in Kent comprised largely of mercenaries imported from the continent.

To protect London, the barons moved to secure Rochester with its strategically important crossing over the River Medway. At this time the castle still formed part of the estates of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the then incumbent, Stephen Langton, had a fractious relationship with the King.

Accordingly Rochester Castle offered no resistance when a baronial force under William de Aubigny and Robert Fitzwalter occupied it. As soon as he heard of the capture of Rochester Castle, King John moved his forces to recover it.

However, the castle's garrison remained defiant forcing the King to besiege the fortification. Having tried and failed to storm the castle or to destroy its walls with siege machines, the Royal army concentrated on undermining the structure. Indeed the tower of Rochester would probably have been whitewashed in similar style to its sibling in London. The timber and lead-lined roof that would have protected it from the elements is gone, as have the floors that would have made for several storeys of impressive accommodation, so from the base you can look right up through some 30metres of stonework to the sky beyond.

The passages and stairs that ran through the thick outer walls do survive though, so you can ascend through a series of spiral staircases and dark, stone-flagged corridors, to the parapets at the top. That siege took seven weeks for John to break, after his men had undermined the tower and brought down a quarter of the keep itself. Even then, the besieged were able to retreat behind the sturdy crosswall that still splits the keep in half, and survive a few more days barricaded in before they eventually gave up because they had no more horses left to eat.

Furniture was minimal and food was basic, a diet of beef and pork as well as a huge number of chickens were consumed. Food was eaten with fingers, no cutlery or plates were used.

Hygiene in these living conditions became a huge issue as washing facilities were non-existent. Eventually, the old ways of the Normans were replaced with new ideas and by the end of the twelfth century comfort and hygiene played a bigger role. Rochester Castle remains one of the most impressive Norman fortresses and continues to attract visitors from far and wide.

From the cathedral, the imposing castle edifice makes a grand impression whilst also providing a wonderful photo opportunity, one of many this historic town has to offer. Jessica Brain is a freelance writer specialising in history. Based in Kent and a lover of all things historical. Ruined, battered by storms and catapult balls, and nestling deep in the Sussex countryside near the sea, you can be forgiven for imagining that time long ago forgot Pevensey Castle…. The City of Rochester has grown from a little Saxon village to a historic city representing one of England finest cities.

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