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Bodiam Castle

 CountyEast Sussex (7 castles)  CategoriesFortified Manor House / Baronial castle
 RemainsNot complete but much survives AccessOnly open at certain times
 CommentsLarge rectangular water filled moat. Average depth of around 6 feet. Access to the front of the castle originally via two bridges with a small island between them. The island is octogon-shaped  
 Location51.0021,0.5427 DirectionsDirections via Google Maps
 County
East Sussex (7 castles) 
 Categories
Fortified Manor House / Baronial castle
 Remains
Not complete but much survives
 Access
Only open at certain times
 Comments
Large rectangular water filled moat. Average depth of around 6 feet. Access to the front of the castle originally via two bridges with a small island between them. The island is octogon-shaped  
 Location
51.0021,0.5427
 Directions
Directions via Google Maps
odiam Castle's construction was begun in 1386 by Sir Edward Dalyngrugge who was granted a licence to crenellate his mansion at Bodiam. Instead of just improving the current building, Dalyngrugge took the opportunity to build a completely new castle from scratch on a new site near by. Dalyngrugge won his spurs fighting in France with Sir Robert Knowles and amassed a large amount of wealth along the way. When Sussex came under threat from attack by the French, king Richard II was willing to allow the local lords in the area to fortify their homes and help defend the country. The French had attacked the south of England in 1377 burning the village of Rye.

Bodiam was built in the valley of the Rother, a river which at the time could have been used by large ships to travel inland. The shape of the castle was probably based on designs Dalyngrugge saw in France and could be based on the castle of Villandraut in Aquitaine. The castle is surrounded by a wide moat and is rectangular in shape. At each of the four corners are tall drum towers and half way along the east and west sides are high rectangular towers. On the north side is the main gatehouse and access to the castle across the moat is via two small islands, one octagonal and one square. Originally access to the castle across the moat was via a right-angle shaped wooden bridge that would have left attackers exposed to arrow-fire as they crossed, but this has been removed and access is provided by a bridge directly infront of the gatehouse. On the southern side of the castle is a smaller gatehouse with a postern gate. This smaller entrance would have been protected by a drawbridge.

Inside the castle are the remains of the domestic buildings built up against the curtain wall. These buildings were two stories high and would have contained a banquet hall, private suites, kitchens, servant's lodgings, a chapel and many other facilities that made the castle a complete home.

It appears that the defences of the castle were never tested by attackers. After the English Civil War the order was given to destroy the castle to prevent it being used again, but thankfiully only the interior builds were destroyed leaving the curtain walls and towers intact. In 1916/7 the Marquess Curzon of Kedleston bought the castle and rescued it from decay. Upon his death the castle was left in the case of the National Trust.

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Timeline

1386
...
Licence granted to crenellate at Bodiam

The king granted Sir Edward Dalyngrugge a licence to crenellate his mansion in Sussex due to threats of invasion. But Dalyngrugge decided to build a completely new structure instead.

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