{"id":27541,"date":"2023-05-22T13:05:29","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T11:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=30456"},"modified":"2023-05-22T16:37:41","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T14:37:41","slug":"britains-most-impressive-castles","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/britains-most-impressive-castles\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain\u2019s most impressive castles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Britain’s ancient castles are woven into the rich heritage of our cities and countryside. Explore remote medieval ruins and iconic castles with our guide to Britain’s best castles. <\/p>

By Carys Matthews\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 22 May 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Britain is home to an incredible variety of ancient forts, ruins and majestic castles that each tell the history of the country and the people that once lived in them. With dramatic turrets, drawbridges, moats and dungeons to explore, our guide to Britain\u2019s best castles takes a look at the history of each castle and provides information on how to visit.<\/p>\n

How many castles are there in the UK?<\/h2>\n

There are more than 4,000 castles dotted around the UK. Many of the UK\u2019s castles began life as Bronze or Iron Age forts, built to provide defence against potential invaders. Forts tended to be built on high ground which offered good visibility of the surrounding landscape.<\/p>\n

The Roman Invasion saw many of Britain\u2019s hill forts occupied as defence sites once again. However, mass castle building in Britain dates back to the Norman era<\/a> during William the\u00a0Conqueror\u2019s reign when hundreds of large stone castles were built throughout England for protection.<\/p>\n

The first Norman castles were motte-and-bailey castles, a wooden or stone keep set on an artificial mound called a motte, surrounded by an enclosed courtyard or bailey. This in turn was surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade.<\/p>\n

These early medieval castles used the motte and bailey system with ditches, but later the trend in the 13th century saw stone castle building gain popularity.<\/p>\n

Here, we take a look at a selection of the best castles in the UK.<\/p>\n

Best castles in Scotland<\/h2>\n

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh<\/h3>\n
\""Aerial\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Edinburgh Castle has an impressive view of the city\/Credit: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Carved into the mountainside, Edinburgh castle<\/a> is an impressive sight that dominates the skyline. Providing spectacular views over the city, this iconic Scottish castle is well-worth a visit.<\/p>\n

With its towering fortress, Medieval and Georgian architecture and maze of ancient streets, Edinburgh is also a wonderful city to explore on foot. But away from the centre, there are hidden corners that tourists, and even some residents, never discover. This circular route follows the Water of Leith Walkway<\/a> through this idyllic valley, before returning along a disused railway now turned into a traffic-free path.<\/p>\n