Feat of Medieval Architecture

The castle was designed by Edward’s Master architect, James of St George. Edward invested heavily into the build, with its costs totaling somewhere in the region of £15,000 (the equivalent of around $12 million in 2022). The work was completed within a period of around four years and resulted in a formidable structure with eight towers and two fortified gates, made from local limestone and sandstone. Additional fortifications came in the form of a wall encircling the town; most of which can still be seen today in its original form.

In the centuries that followed, the Castle played host to a wide range of significant historic events, including its time as temporary home to King Richard I before his imprisonment and death. Shortly after the English Civil War, when the castle had been held by King Charles I, it was stripped of its defensive qualities and left to ruin. In the three hundred years that have passed since, the castle has evolved into a tourist attraction which tells it’s story to over two hundred thousand visitors each year.