Reigate Castle
Reigate Castle is a ruined castle in Reigate in the English county of Surrey .
history
King William the Conqueror lent the land around Reigate to one of his supporters, William de Warenne , who was named Earl of Surrey in 1088 . It is thought that his son, William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey , ordered the construction of Reigate Castle, although the De Warennes had their southern seat in Lewes in Sussex and castles in Yorkshire and Normandy . Around 1150 the De Warennes ordered the construction of a town below the castle. This settlement was the nucleus of today's city of Reigate. The origin of the name “Reigate” is not certain, but it seems to come from “Roe-deer Gate”, as the settlement was near the entrance to the De Warennes deer park.
In 1216, Reigate Castle was one of many castles the French took in southern England; Also Chichester Castle was one example to do so. In 1347 the castle became the property of the FitzAlan family , the Earls of Arundel . From 1397 Reigate Castle belonged to a number of lords of the Reigate manor, e. B. also the influential Howard family . It was inhabited until the 16th century and then fell into disrepair. In 1648 it was destroyed after serving as a garrison for followers of the royalist cause in the English Civil War.
In 1777 a replica medieval gate was built over the ruins of the original castle. An inscription on the side of the gate, on one side in Latin and on the other in English, reads:
“To save the memory of William, Earl Warren, who lived here in the olden days and was a loyal advocate of our freedoms, from extinction, like his castle through time, Richard Barnes built this gate at his own expense in 1777 . "
None of the original castle buildings remain, with the exception of the Barons' Cave .
Otherwise, not much is known about the castle, which has never been excavated on a large scale. A local legend has it that before the signing of the Magna Carta , the rebellious barons met in the extensive cellar under the castle to work out the details of the document. However, there is no evidence to support this story.
today
The Reigate Castle Tunnel runs under the grounds of Reigate Castle and was built in 1823. It is said to have been Europe's first road tunnel, but is now only used for pedestrians.
The castle grounds are now a public park.
basement, cellar
Tours of the Barons' Cave and Tunnel Road Cave run every second Saturday of the month from May to September.
Individual evidence
- ↑ De Warenne Castle . Conisbrough Castle. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
- ↑ a b Reigate . TourUK. ( Memento of the original from January 18, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
- ↑ Barons' Cave and Reigate Castle . Wealden Cave & Mine Society. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
- ^ A Pictorial History . Old Reigate. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
- ^ Cave Tours . Wealden Cave & Mine Society. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
- ^ Reigate Caves . Wealden Cave & Mine Society. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
Web links
Coordinates: 51 ° 13 ′ 48 ″ N , 0 ° 11 ′ 16 ″ W.