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turret; 'Corfe Castle'; Dorset; England; 'built by Henry 1'; '12th Century AD'; Norman; 'stone construction'; 'Purbeck Limestone'; defensive; 'military defence'; 'tourist attraction'; 'open to public'; 'historic building'; castle; stronghold
Description
One of the turrets of Corfe Castle in Dorset, England. Construction of the castle was begun in the early 12th Century AD by King Henry 1, son of William the Conqueror.
Two miles east of North Berwick is a rocky headland surrounded by cliffs offering stunning views north to the sea-bird colony on Bass Rock. Anywhere else, Bass Rock would dominate the attention, but here it takes second place to the remarkable curtain wall of Tantallon Castle. A visit by Oliver Cromwell's army in 1651 has ensured that Tantallon Castle is but a shadow of its former self. But what remains is dramatic and impressive, offering considerable scope for exploration and plenty of opportunity for sufferers of vertigo to check whether they've overcome it yet. Stairs allow access to the walkway running most of the length of the curtain wall and to the top of the Mid Tower. In its heyday Tantallon Castle's main structure comprised a 12ft thick curtain wall built right across the headland, protected by a deep ditch cut through the rock in front and by the natural cliffs on the remaining three sides. At the north-west end of the wall was the large circular Douglas Tower, offering 6 storeys of accommodation for the Douglas family who held sway here through most of the castle's life. Very little of it was left standing by Cromwell's artillery. At the south-east end of the curtain wall was the East Tower, originally five storeys high but again largely destroyed in 1651. Not quite centrally placed was the Mid Tower, also five storeys in height and the best preserved of the towers. Behind the protection of the curtain wall was the close with, on its north side, the remains of the hall block
Wray Castle, Private castle near Ambleside, Lake District National Park, England; fortification; defensive structure; house; imposing; strong; fortified; protective; driveway; towers; turrets; impenetrable; defence; englishman's home is his castle; weeds; overrun; undergrowth
Wray Castle, Private castle near Ambleside, Lake District National Park, England; fortification; defensive; structure; house; imposing; strong; fortified; protective; window; impenetrable; tower; arrow slits