デットリングの洞窟・トップ7

Defunct fortification gun tower built 1808 in defence against Napoleon. Now residential apartments.

Rochester is a great town for sightseeing and cafe stops, a must visit on a ride from London to Kent (or back). Castle Hill is one of the highlights, with a great view of the castle and the cathedral.

Maybe obvious to others, but because some of the signage was missing/hidden when we visited didn't realise that the public footpath intersects with the castle grounds which is private and which you must pay in order to use. The grounds are very pretty, but the entry ticket seem very expensive to me. You can still get nice views of the castle and grounds from the public footpath as well.

The wild goats are no longer

Fort Clarence was built between 1808 to 1812 to stop invaders gaining access from Maidstone road to the river Medway.

Rochester is a great town, with so much history and things to do.

Sutton Valence Castle is a ruined Norman keep that was built in the 12th century. From 1238, the strongly-defended castle was owned by Simon de Montfort, who led the baronial rebellion against Henry VIII. When de Monfort was killed at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, Henry III gave the castle to his half-brother William de Valence, as a reward for his loyalty. From the castle, you get an incredible panorama over East Sussex and the Weald of Kent. The castle, which is owned by English Heritage, is free to enter during daylight hours.

Leeds Castle was in its long history a Norman stronghold, the private residence of 6 English queens of the Middle Ages (Eleanor of Castile, Margaret of France, Isabella of France, Joan of Navarre, Anna of Bohemia and Katharina de Valois), a palace of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in Jacobean times a country estate and a Georgian mansion. In the 20th century the castle was an elegant retreat and today Leeds Castle is one of the most visited attractions in the UK. Leeds Castle has Norman foundations, a medieval gatehouse; The Gloriette was built by Edward I and expanded in the times of Henry III, there is a Tudor tower and a 19th century country house. The first castle was built by the Norman Baron Robert de Crevecoeur in 1119, at the time of Henry I, the son of William the Conqueror, on an island in the River Len. In 1278, one and a half centuries later, it came into the possession of Queen Eleanor, the wife of Edwards I. For the next 300 years, the castle was a royal residence and part of the Wittum of the English queens.