Walden Castle

The ruins of Walden Castle

Walden Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Saffron Walden in the English county of Essex . The castle was built in the 12th century, during the period of anarchy .

history

Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex , had the castle built essentially in the years 1141–1143, at the beginning of the Civil War. Walden Castle was one of several castles De Mandeville had built to consolidate his hold in the region. The castle ruin stands on a natural high point of the city and had a Norman donjon with a square plan and a castle wall, which made it a strong fortress. King Stephen had Geoffrey de Mandeville arrested in 1143 under questionable circumstances and demanded the surrender of all his castles, including Walden Castle. De Mandeville initially agreed, but as soon as he was released he withdrew and launched a military attack on the King's fortresses in Cambridgeshire to clear the route south to Walden Castle. Geoffrey de Mandeville died during the siege the following year without getting Walden Castle back. King Henry II. Ordered the razing of the castle 1,157th At that time, the donjon was probably not even finished.

Saffron Walden's streets run along the old castle wall. Only the ruins of the core castle remained; however, most of the building blocks have been stolen in the many centuries since the destruction. The castle ruin is a Scheduled Monument and English Heritage has listed it as a First Grade Historic Building.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Adrian Pettifer: English Castles: a Guide by Counties . Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2002. ISBN 978-0-85115-782-5. P. 76. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Saffron Walden Castle . Gatehouse Gazetteer. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
^ Jim Bradbury: Stephen and Matilda: the Civil War of 1139-53 . Stroud, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-3793-1. Pp. 143-145. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
^ Jim Bradbury: Stephen and Matilda: the Civil War of 1139-53 . Stroud, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-3793-1. P. 146. Retrieved November 17, 2016.

Web links

Commons : Walden Castle - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

52.0255 0.242Coordinates: 52 ° 1 ′ 31.8 ″ N , 0 ° 14 ′ 31.2 ″ E

[Pettifer76-1] Adrian Pettifer: English Castles: a Guide by Counties . Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2002. ISBN 978-0-85115-782-5. P. 76. Retrieved November 17, 2016.

[GatehouseGazetteer-2] Saffron Walden Castle . Gatehouse Gazetteer. Retrieved November 17, 2016.

[Bradbury143145-3] Jim Bradbury: Stephen and Matilda: the Civil War of 1139-53 . Stroud, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-3793-1. Pp. 143-145. Retrieved November 17, 2016.

[Bradbury146-4] Jim Bradbury: Stephen and Matilda: the Civil War of 1139-53 . Stroud, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-3793-1. P. 146. Retrieved November 17, 2016.