Canterbury+Castle

Canterbury Castle Canterbury Castle is a Norman castle in Canterbury, Kent, England. This castle is one of three original Royal Castles of Kent (the two being the Dover Castle and Rochester Castle). Canterbury was built soon after the Battle of Hastings as were the other two castles. Canterbury was built on the road from Dover to London to protect the route from any invaders. During the Norman era, a wooden motte and bailey castle was created in 1066 - its motte could be the mound which is still seen in Dane John gardens near the stone castle. In turn, it could also be a Roman burial mound.

The Great Stone keep was constructed largely in the reign of Henry I as one of the three royals castles in Kent. The keep has dimensions of about 98 by 85 feet at the base. The keep was originally probably at least 80 feet high and mainly made of flint and sandstone rubble. In 1308, a new gate was built because by the 13th century the castle had become the county gaol (A gaol is a prison, lockup, or confinement). It was given to the invading French in the First Baron's War. By the 19th century it had been a gas company and used to store gas for many years, during which the top floor was destroyed.

The Castle is now open to the public all year round. It's one of the biggest tourist attractions in Canterbury right after the Cathedral. By: Caitlyn Dixon