England · 11th century
Bedford Castle ranks #3,136 of 9,040 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #212 of the 360 mapped in England. Founded 1100, it is older than 85% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 439 atlas entries founded in the 11th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,638 times in the last 60 days, more than 64% of the atlas. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Milton Keynes, 24 km away. See how England compares in the castle statistics.
Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly extended in stone, although the final plan of the castle remains uncertain. Henry III of England besieged the castle in 1224 following a disagreement with Falkes de Bréauté; the siege lasted eight weeks and involved an army of as many as 2,700 soldiers with equipment drawn from across England. After the surrender of the castle, the king ordered its destruction (slighting).
Although partially refortified in the 17th century during the English Civil War, the castle remained a ruin until the urban expansion in Bedford during the 19th century, when houses were built across much of the property. Today only part of the motte still stands, forming part of an archaeological park built on the site between 2007 and 2009.
Text adapted from “Bedford Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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