CastleHearth & Co. - Introduction to Castles

Castles were first introduced as properly fortified military residences, designed and built to hold down conquered territory. They were also places of refuge, places for lords to live, and served to intimidate and strike fear into local peoples. From their inception, castles were impressive symbols of power and wealth.

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Europe is well known for its castles, especially Britain. Castles were brought to Britain by William the Conqueror, when he invaded England from his homeland in France. Known as the Duke of Normandy, William invaded England in 1066 and, due to his victory in the Battle of Hastings, William was crowned the King of England, and became King William I.

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One of the most powerful ways for William to take control of his new kingdom, which included England, Scotland and Wales, was to have castles built throughout the land. One of the first stone castles in Britain was Chepstow Castle, begun in 1068, which still stands today.

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The king gave his loyal knights vast estates and permission to build castles. In return, he expected these men (most of whom were given the titles of earl or lord) to control their lands as the king's representative, to keep the local population from rebelling, and to force them to work and pay rent to the lord (who then passed it onto the king).

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The first knights and barons in England, followers of William the Conqueror, were known as the very-powerful Normans. They built castles almost everywhere in Britain, hundreds of which still survive. Norman castles were built from the 11th to 13th centuries (approximately 900 years ago).

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Castle construction was influenced by topography, taste, available materials, and the education/ability of the designer.

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William the Conqueror built Lincoln Castle in 1068 on a strategic site that had once been used by the Romans. 166 families who were living on the site had their houses demolished and were forced to provide labour for the construction of the castle. The buildings that remain within the castle are from its later use as a prison and court. The Victorian court is still used today, but the prison is no longer in use and can be visited. Now an active tourist site, the castle served as the city's prison between 1787 and 1878. The castle also has one of the four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta, which can be viewed in an exhibition area in the old prison building.

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For a Christmas feast in 1206 at Winchester Castle in Britain, King John's orders to the sheriff included 1,500 chickens, 5,000 eggs, 20 oxen, 100 pigs, and 100 sheep.

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Later, in 1722, Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf encouraged Unitas Fratum (unity of the brethren) and offered refuge on his estate in or around east Germany to families fleeing persecution from then Bohemia and Moravia. He became an instrumental historical figure in a church established in 1457, known as the Moravian Church, whose motto is, “In Essentials, Unity; In NonEssentials, Liberty; In All Things, Love.”

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Much later, in 1969, construction on the Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World began. Herbert Ryman rendered a sketch and painting, using several French castles for his inspiration, among them Chambord Castle, Usse Castle, and Chenonceau Castle. Inspiration also came from the classic Walt Disney animated feature Cinderella. It took 18 months to build the castle, using 600 tons of steel for the framework. There are 10 towering spires and the castle is 189 feet tall, made out of fiberglass. Space for an apartment for the Disney family was designed and built inside the castle's upper floors, but it has never been completed or used.

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