Libraries and leisure

Archaeology Sites to See

Berkhamsted Castle

Berkhamsted Castle is one of the largest and best preserved sites in the county, and this is reflected in its status as a ‘Guardianship’ site (a site in the care of English Heritage). It is a ‘motte and bailey’ castle in origin - a type of castle design that was introduced by the Normans - and dates from the 11th century. A motte was a large defensive mound, which had a timber or stone tower on the top; the adjacent, enclosed bailey was the living area. The oval motte at Berkhamsted is crowned with a circular stone shell keep, from which flanking walls descend to meet the curtain wall of the bailey. Three half-round towers have been added to the curtain wall, and it is straddled by a large rectangular tower. Beyond the wall there is a large moat, and beyond that a countscap bank; beyond this a further bank on the north and east sides contains seven earthen bastions, perhaps the emplacements for medieval artillery.

The castle was originally owned by Robert of Mortain, William the Conqueror’s half-brother, and it eventually became part of the estates of the royal Duchy of Cornwall. Large sums were spent on the castle in the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries, but it was unoccupied after 1495.

The site lies on the north-east side of Berkhamsted, adjacent to the railway station. Follow Castle Street or Lower Kings Road from the town centre, grid reference SP 9955 0825.

Map showing Berkhamsted Castle