Castles of Britain

Castles have dominated the landscapes and people of Britain for centuries and form a vital link with the past.

This book evokes the magic and mystery of some of Britain’s most ancient buildings but also shows how these monuments, which are now such emblems of nostalgia and romance, were once symbols of power that witnessed some of the most violent scenes the country has ever known. Sir Patrick Cormack, an acknowledged expert on ancient buildings, guides the reader through various phases in Britain’s castle building and explains the different needs which gave rise to the early Iron Age earthworks such as Maiden Castle, the massive Norman keeps of Chepstow and Orford, the artillery forts of the Civil War and the Victorian fairy-tale fantasies of I-lever and Arundel.