Donnington Castle
| Donnington Castle | ||
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 View from the south |
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| Creation time : | 14th century | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Geographical location | 51 ° 25 '10.8 " N , 1 ° 20' 18" W | |
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Donnington Castle is a ruined castle near Newbury in England.
Only the striking gatehouse with its two towers, originally built with a portcullis , remains of the former castle from the 14th century . The castle ruins are surrounded by impressive earthworks. The remains stand on a hill 100 meters higher than the surrounding land. A path with a 30 to 40% gradient leads up to the castle. The interior of the gatehouse is locked and not accessible to visitors.
King Richard II allowed Richard de Abberbury to build a new stone fortification , a reliable crenellated castle , in his own land of Donnington in 1386 . Even before this time, there must have been a closed courtyard, possibly a wooden castle, at this point. At that time it was in a strategically important position at the intersection of the important north / south and east / west roads in the country.
During the English Civil War , the complex was owned by supporters of King Charles I. During this time, the star-shaped earthworks around the castle were created as an additional defensive measure. It was besieged by parliamentarians for 20 months in 1644 and largely destroyed during this time. What was left besides the gatehouse was torn down by the parliamentarians after the honorable surrender of the castle residents. Today the ruin is preserved by the English Heritage .
