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Rochester Castle
1088 onwards - Rochester Castle built
There was a castle at Roch
ester 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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