Channel4.com Text Only
[ News
| Homes
| Life
| Entertainment
| History
| Science
| Community
| Shop ]
| Sport
| Culture
| Cars
| Money
| Broadband
| Learning
| Health
| Dating
| Games ]
[ Text Only: Homepage ]
[ Graphical: Channel4 Homepage ]
Rochester
Rochester Castle in Kent is perhaps the most impressive 12th-century keep (a stronghold
in the shape of a square tower) in England. Standing 34.5m (113ft) tall, even
today it dominates the town of Rochester. When it was built, it was the tallest
castle in the kingdom.
Although it is the third castle to stand on the site, the great tower at Rochester
is one of the oldest in England. Building started in 1127, when custody of the
castle was granted by Henry
I to William de Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury. William proceeded to build
a truly mighty tower. As well as being exceedingly tall, the keep was 21m (70ft)
square, and at its base the walls were 3.5m (12ft) thick.
Archbishop's palace
Like all true castles, however, Rochester was not just a defensive building,
but a palatial residence fit for the most powerful churchman in England. Inside,
there is plenty of evidence that this was once one of the grandest buildings
in existence. Beautifully decorated Norman arches are visible everywhere, and
the castle has a spectacular great hall and top-floor apartments. It was a very
comfortable place to live. Every floor is served by an internal well-shaft,
and has grand fireplaces and garderobes (toilets).
Such luxuries meant that, for most of the time, life at Rochester was very pleasant.
But, in 1215, a large number of English barons, tired of King
John's financial oppressions, resorted to arms and forced the reluctant
king to promise to behave himself in the future. The king's promises are set
out in what became one of the most famous documents in English history –
Magna
Carta.
Bad King John
When John ignored Magna Carta (he wrote to the Pope to get it torn up), he triggered
a full-scale civil war. Both the king and the rebel barons were waiting for troops
to arrive from France, and so control of the rivers and roads in Kent became essential.
Thinking quickly, a group of barons rushed to Rochester and seized control of
the castle. Two days later, John was outside, determined to take the castle by
force. The result was one of the biggest and most spectacular sieges in English
history.
The king used every means at his disposal to try and break into the keep, including
a ceaseless barrage of missiles from his five great trebuchets (catapults). The
mighty tower, however, held out, even though hunger had reduced the men inside
to eating their own horses.
Eventually, John ended the siege by digging a mine shaft under the keep and collapsing
it by burning the pit-props (which held the tunnel up) using the fat from 40 pigs.
The collapse of the tunnel caused a quarter of the keep to come crashing down,
and the siege was soon ended.
Peace at last
A few months later John dropped dead from over-eating, and the peace of the kingdom
was restored. The keep at Rochester was repaired, but when the collapsed tower
was rebuilt it was made round rather than square. This is a good indication that
by the 13th century, ideas about castle design were beginning to change, partly
as a result of sieges such as the one at Rochester.
The castle today
Today Rochester Castle is in the care of English Heritage and is managed by
Medway Council.
Graphic version
Includes layout and images.
Top
of page
[ Text Only: Homepage ]
[ Graphical: Channel4 Homepage ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Access Advice ]
[ HTML 4.01 TR Approved ]