The First Form went on a brilliant trip to Kenilworth Castle last Friday, to complement the work they have been doing on the Norman consolidation of power post 1066.
Although built during the reign of Henry I rather than William I it gave a fascinating insight into the factors that influenced castle design, and helped illustrate how castle design evolved over the centuries. The castle had a number of purposes over the centuries; it was built during the medieval times as a fortress and later developed to impress Queen Elizabeth in the 1500s. Students will shortly be undertaking their castle research projects, and the visit should prove valuable in helping to inform these.
Here is a great link to an English Heritage plan of Kenilworth Castle, showing which parts were built when: Kenilworth Castle Phased Plans
A gallery of photos from the trip can be found here.
Please can we extend our thanks to Mrs White, Mr Hobley, Mr Sitsapesan and Mrs Adams for helping to make the trip possible.