Bodiam Castle
75About Bodiam Castle
Bodiam Castle is in East Sussex, England. The castle was completed in 1388 and was one of the last medieval castles to be built. Bodiam was built for war, though it was lived in for 250 years without attack, It was however captured twice without resistance. Bodiam was originally the fortress and residence of Sir Edward Dalyngrigge who was a Sussex Knight. Bodium is a true fairy tale castle and although still looking formidable from the outside, the inside is another story. Somewhere between 1640-48 during the Civil War, the inside of the castle was demolished. In a weird way this makes the castle more beautiful, on the outside still a tough shell of defense, and yet inside, an empty ruin whose inner walls have crumbled. It's an amazing contrast to see.
In the late 14th century Bodiam Castle would have been one of the largest buildings in Sussex, and one of the largest building sites in England during its construction. As many as 1000 men are believed to have worked on the building, the craftsmen were recruited from all over England.
Inside The Walls
The outer walls are still standing strong, however, the domestic buildings surrounding the courtyard are now ruins, and it's really hard when you're standing in this empty space, to imagine how this castle used to be.
Murder Holes
Murder Holes (that's actually what they are called!) are situated in the ceilings of the vaulted passageway in Great Gatehouse, which is the entrance. These allowed missiles and boiling water to be dropped onto people without detection.
The Great Gatehouse Entrance
A Production of Shakespeare's The Tempest
Special Events At Bodiam
Like many National Trust properties, Bodiam often has special events held there, from battle re-enactments to theatre productions.
There is also a new museum located beside the mote which is dedicated to the history of Bodium Castle.
How a Sussex Knight Would Have Looked
Bodiam Castle Keepsakes
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Bodiam Castle (East Sussex) (National Trust Guidebooks)
Price: $4.29
List Price: $7.95 |
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Bodiam Castle England T-shirt
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Bodiam Castle Rubber Stamp - Wood Mounted
Price: $12.00
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1909 ART JOURNAL ARCHITECTURE BODIAM CASTLE SUSSEX
Price: $24.00
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Bodiam Castle in the News
- Moe retires from National Trust for Historic PreservationTelluride Daily Planet14 hours ago
Richard Moe — the national force who brought the Valley Floor crusade to the country’s attention — retired on Tuesday from his post as president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C.
- LACS claims refuted by National TrustHorse and Hound2 days ago
Claims that the National Trust has agreed to provide the League Against Cruel Sports with dates when hunts will be trail hunting on their land have been denied by the National Trust
- Armory plans to pull money from Veterans Trust Fund9 News Denver11 hours ago
MORE ON 9NEWS at 6 P.M. WINDSOR - A plan to build three National Guard armories in Colorado will draw heavily on the state's Veterans Trust Fund, which supports veterans programs.
The Beauty of Bodiam on a Misty Evening
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Comments
Bodiam Castle is a wonderful place, I've taken my children there quite a few times and they always love it. Very often the kids get to dress up in medieval gear, which always goes down a treat!
Good Hub :)
Thank you both :) It really is an amazing place to visit, especially with kids as you say Zimbra. Great day out.
I love your photos and I love reading about castles! Murder holes...how devious! ;)
Bodiam is truly amazing Eve, and yes, those murder holes are rather evil! I'm glad that you love reading about castles, me too! Thanks for stopping by and commenting :)
How was the inside destroyed?
It was destroyed by parliamentary forces during the civil war as it was seen as a threat.
what Bodiam Castle is from?
wow the castle looks pretty as it is. ^_^
This is very helpful.!
keep up the good work :DD
my brother has been to it today with his class scotts park primary school. he is in yesr 2. i went to it when i was in year 2 now i am in year 4.
I hope that you and your brother both enjoyed visiting Bodiam Castle, I love visiting there, it's a fun place to see :)
helpful:]
this si the castle i chose for my project. it was quite hard to find the demensions of it though. i still cant figure it out. i have looked everywhere!
I'm afraid that I don't have any information on Bodiam's dimensions, and I can't find any mention of them anywhere either. Probably best to go visit with a tape measure! A lot of people seem interested in this information from my searches.
Thanks for the comment :)
i would love to go there. im afraid i dont have the money though. but it is a remarkable castle.
Hi Happy,
Sorry that you can't visit Bodiam. I'm still on the lookout for the dimensions. If I find then in the next few days I'll post them here.
HI,
I am trying to find a castle to get married at, and there is just something about Bodiam that has my heart. I can't find information about this type of thing.... anyone know? :)
Hi Kate,
You can have a wedding reception in the Terrace Room at Bodiam. Here's a link:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits
Or if you're looking for somewhere different to actually marry, which doesn't seem possible at Bodiam, here are some other National Trust properties that you can marry at:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Beautiful-Wedding-Venues-T
I know what you mean about Bodiam though, it does have a certain magic about it. Good luck with your wedding!
monitor says:
17 months ago
A very interesting hub on the history of Bodiam Castle, moonbun! The pictures that you've chosen are beautiful and enchanting. It's amazing how the castle has held up over the years. And the 'murder holes' really do have a foreboding feel to them. Thanks for the fun read!
Your fan.
Mon.