Those of you who know me, know I LOVE to explore castles-both those still in use today and the lovely ruins that dot the countryside in Europe.
Each castle is unique and served a purpose, to protect it's kingdom's people and way of life. The architecture of castles reflect the times, always with an eye to protect the kingdom, and reflects the style of the times.
Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order mind you.
Ludlow Castle, Ludlow England.
Built near the Welsh border, this castle was probably built by William de Lacy after the Norman conquest, it was one of the first stone castles in England. Changing hands many times until Edward Clive bought the castle in 1811. A mansion was constructed on the outer bailey but the remainder of the grounds were left largely untouched.
After 1900, the castle grounds were cleared of vegetation and over the next century was largely restored by the Powis Estate and governmental bodies. It is currently owned by the Earl of Powis and is open to the public.
There is a lovely gift shop on the grounds and a great tea room.
I first discovered the castle in a book I read, unfortunately I no longer recall the name or author, but is was a fictional story that included the Ghost of Ludlow Castle. The story of the ghost is real and many have claimed to have seen her.
I love Ireland and all it represents. One of my favorite places in the world, the entire island is dotted with castles. The Blarney castle is one of the most famous.
On approach, Blarney appears to be an intact and imposing edifice.
The grounds are extensive and well worth the time to explore. If you take the to the trails, you will find the old ice house, a horse graveyard, a poison garden and in the old stable yard another lovely tea shop. Are you sensing a trend here?
The blarney stone itself, is at the top of the castle. In order to kiss the stone, you must sit facing backwards, bend back and down, grabbing the hand rails that have been installed, and kiss the stone upside down. There are people that sit on the battlement to hold you and help you down and back up and as you kiss the stone they will even take your snap-and you can purchase the photo or photos if you like in the gift shop, along with a certificate that confirms you kissed the famous stone.
The interior of the castle keep is completely gutted as you can see here. Be warned, to climb to the top, you must traverse a very narrow and steep stairway often with only a rope hand rail. The good news is that you can 'hop off' the steps at the intervening levels to take a break and take in more of the castle.
Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny Ireland
Staying in Ireland, Kilkenny Castle is one that is relatively intact.
The first castle built here by Strongbow (aka Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke) was made of wood. The current structure was built about 1195.
If you visit this site, allow for at least a half day, if not a full day. There are many rooms open to view and meticulously restore. Well worth a visit.
Le Mont-Saint-Michel, island off the coast of France
Built upon a tidal island, this castle is completely cut off from the mainland at high tide. To visit, you can walk the causeway at low tide or take a boat.
On the UNESCO list, it was originally founded by an Irish hermit, it has a very long history commencing before the 7th century.
Stay tuned for more on castles.
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