Canterbury Castle

Canterbury Castle is a ruined castle in Canterbury in the English county of Kent . It is located on the city wall, about 5 minutes' walk from East Station and the city's central bus station. English Heritage has listed the ruin as a historical building of the first degree.

Canterbury Castle was one of the three original royal castles in Kent, with the other two being Rochester Castle and Dover Castle . They were all erected soon after the Battle of Hastings on the old main Roman road from Dover to London . This was the route that William the Conqueror took in October 1066 and the three castles were originally built as moths to monitor this important route.

Construction phases

Norman time

A wooden moth was erected in 1066 - still visible today as a mound in Dane John Gardens near the present stone castle ruins. This mound could also have been an earlier Roman burial mound. The name "Dane John" is derived from the word " Donjon ".

Stone castle

The big stone Donjon was largely during the reign of King Henry I built. This massive structure covers a footprint of around 29.4 × 25.5 meters and was originally at least 24 meters high. It consists mainly of flint and sandstone quarries . In the 13th century, the county's central prison was housed in the castle. In the first war of the barons , the castle was left to the invading French troops. In 1380 a new gate was built.

In the 19th century Canterbury Castle was taken over by a gas company and used as a gas storage facility for many years. During this time, the upper floor was also destroyed.

Tourist attraction

The castle ruins now belong to the local administration and are open to the public all year round. Along with the cathedral, it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Canterbury.