Carisbrooke Castle

Castle

Carisbrooke Castle stands on a commanding hilltop position above the village of Carisbrooke, just southwest of Newport, and has served as the principal fortification of the Isle of Wight for nearly a thousand years. Its history stretches from a Saxon burh through Norman conquest, Elizabethan defences against the Spanish Armada, the imprisonment of King Charles I during the English Civil War, and continued military use into the twentieth century. The castle is now managed by English Heritage.

The earliest fortification on the site was a Saxon earthwork, probably constructed in the late eighth or early ninth century as a defence against Viking raids. After the Norman Conquest, William FitzOsbern, the first Norman lord of the Isle of Wight, built a motte-and-bailey castle here around 1070. The stone keep on top of the motte dates from the twelfth century and still dominates the skyline, though its walls have been reduced in height over the centuries. The shell keep is reached by climbing a steep flight of steps up the motte, and the panoramic views from the top extend across central Wight to the Solent and the Hampshire coast beyond.

The most famous episode in the castle's history is the imprisonment of King Charles I between November 1647 and September 1648. Charles fled to the island believing that the governor, Colonel Robert Hammond, would be sympathetic to his cause, but Hammond instead confined the king within the castle walls. Charles attempted to escape at least twice. On one occasion, he became stuck between the bars of his chamber window, having misjudged the gap. The rooms traditionally associated with his imprisonment are in the south range and can still be visited, along with a small museum of Civil War artefacts.

The castle's defences were substantially upgraded during the reign of Elizabeth I, when the threat of Spanish invasion prompted the construction of a massive outer curtain wall with arrow-headed bastions in the Italian style. This artillery fortification, designed by the Italian engineer Federigo Giambelli, encloses the entire medieval castle within a ring of earthwork ramparts and was among the most advanced military engineering works in England at the time. The bastions and curtain wall survive in excellent condition and give the castle its distinctive star-shaped plan when viewed from above.

One of the castle's most popular features is the donkey-powered well in the centre of the courtyard. The well shaft is over 49 metres deep and was essential to the castle's ability to withstand siege. Donkeys have been used to operate the treadwheel that raises water from the well since at least the sixteenth century, and the tradition continues today. The resident donkeys are a major attraction for families, and demonstrations of the well mechanism take place daily during the summer season.

The castle also houses the Isle of Wight Museum within its grounds, which contains collections relating to the island's history, geology and social life. Exhibits include archaeological finds from the castle site, items associated with Charles I's imprisonment, and displays on the island's role during both World Wars. The chapel of St Nicholas, dating from the twelfth century, stands within the castle walls and contains fine Norman architectural details.

Carisbrooke served as the official residence of the Governor of the Isle of Wight until 1944, when Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, died. She had held the position since 1896 and lived in the castle's domestic apartments. The Governor's Lodge was subsequently converted for museum and visitor use.

The castle's elevated position makes it a natural focal point of the island's landscape, visible from miles around. The walk around the outer ramparts provides one of the best vantage points on the island, and the combination of Norman keep, Elizabethan fortifications, Civil War history and the famous donkey well makes Carisbrooke one of the most historically layered castles in southern England.