Local history

1088 onwards - Rochester Castle built

There was a castle at Rochester by the time Domesday Book was compiled in 1086 but no trace of this structure now survives. The bailey wall that exists today was built in 1088 for William II by Gundulf, the bishop of Rochester. It cost £60.

In 1127, Henry I gave custody of the castle to the Archbishop of Canterbury, William de Corbeil. The Archbishop built the huge central keep which still dominates the view of the city from the river. Standing 34.5 metres high, with walls up to 3.5 metres thick, it is the tallest Norman keep in the country.

In 1215, this custodial arrangement was to lead to conflict at Rochester during the wars between King John and his barons. The castle fell into the hands of the king's enemies after the Archbishop argued with him and then fled the country. John began by laying siege to the castle but brought the situation to a rather speedier conclusion by digging a tunnel under the keep's south-eastern tower. When the timber pit props were burnt in a fire kindled in the tunnel with the fat of forty pigs, the tower collapsed, bringing down with it almost a quarter of the entire keep. The tower was eventually rebuilt to a more robust circular design, explaining the irregular appearance of the keep today.

The castle saw action again later in the 13th century and much repair and rebuilding took place during the reign of Edward III. It is this period which is largely represented by the detailed model on display in the keep. The steps that today lead down onto the Esplanade where it meets Castle Hill were added in the 19th century when the water bastion was restored. When it was first built, this fortified tower looked over the entrance to the medieval bridge, which was situated further upstream than its modern counterpart.

Rochester Castle passed into private hands in the 17th century and gradually fell into disrepair. The grounds were turned into a public pleasure garden after the Corporation of Rochester bought the site in 1884.

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