enilworth Castle was founded in around 1120 by Geoffrey de Clinton who was Henry I's Lord Chamberlain. The castle he built was probably a wooden motte and bailey type construction. If there was a motte on the site it would probably have been located where the current keep now stands. The stone keep that now stands at the castle was most likely built by Geoffrey's son, Geoffrey II during the reigns of King Stephen or Henry II and is built of soft red sandstone with 14ft thick walls. The keep is rectangular, being roughly 90 feet by 60 feet and around 80 feet high. At the corners are towers that project out from the main walls. Originally the windows of the keep would have been small openings common for the time in which it was built, but in Elizabethan times the keep was altered and much larger Tudor style windows inserted.
At first the castle was leased to the king in the time of Henry II and then some time later it became the property of the crown. The castle was used by Henry II, King John and Henry III who between them improved the defences greatly. In the time of King John the Finham brook was dammed so that a moat was formed on the southern, western and eastern sides of the castle. This created a large expance of water that made the castle almost impossible to capture. Castles with a similar sized lake used for protection include Caerphilly Castle in South Wales and Leeds Castle in Kent. On the northern side of the castle a deep ditch was dug to provide defence. It was on this northern side that a gatehouse served as the main entrance to the castle. On the southern side of the castle the top of the dam also provided access to the castle. The narrow strip of land was protected by two tower gatehouses, one at each end.
The layout of the castle consists of a large outer ward surrounded by a curtain wall. Offset to the south-west is an area of higher ground where the keep and inner bailey are located. Several towers are built into the outer curtain wall including Lunns Tower and the Water Tower on the east side, Mortimer Tower protecting the southern entrance and Swan Tower on the north-west corner.
In 1243 Henry III granted the castle to Simon de Montfort but later Simon became Henry's enemy and was defeated and killed at the battle of Evesham. After the battle of Evesham Simon's son held out at Kenilworth Castle against Henry III for six months until finally running out of food and water. Edmund Earl of Lancaster, Henry III's son, was then granted ownership of the castle. The Lancasters were then associated with the castle including John of Gaunt, Earl of Lancaster, whose son became King Henry IV and during his reign the castle became a royal residence again.
| Kenilworth Castle Key Facts | Visited:  |
| County | Warwickshire |
| Categories | Stone Norman Square Keep Lake Fortress |
| Ownership | Baronial castle |
| Remains | Not complete but much survives |
| Access to site | Only open at certain times |
| Outer Defences | |
| Moat | This castle did not have a normal moat but the stream that passes the castle was damned in medieval times to provide a large lake. |
| TimeRef Rating |   |
| Map | |
 | Kenilworth Castle is located just a few miles to the north of Warwick Castle and a few miles to the south west of Coventry.
Images created using |
| 3D Reconstructions |
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This image shows an artistic impression |
| Year | Month | Event |
| 1120 | Kenilworth Castle constructed | |
| Henry I gave a portion of the Stoneleigh estate to Geoffrey de Clinton his chamberlain. de Clinton built a motte and bailey on the land and formed a lake to provide better defences.[1] | ||
| 1122 | Kenilworth Abbey Founded | |
| A priory of Austin Canons was founded in Kenilworth by Geoffrey de Clinton, the Chamberlain of King Henry I. The Priory was raised to the status of an abbey in the reign of Henry VI. [2] | ||
| 1173 | Henry takes control of Kenilworth | |
| With the threat of attack from the Barons and his own sons, Henry II took control of Kenilworth Castle and defended it with a small army of men. [1] | ||
| 1180 | Kenilworth Castle keep | |
| The massive keep at Kenilworth was under construction during this period.[1] | ||
| 1182 | Kenilworth Castle becomes the King's property | |
| Henry de Clinton exchanged Kenilworth Castle for other land?[1] | ||
| 1210 - 1215 | Kenilworth Castle defences improved | |
| King John spent time and money on the castle at Kenilworth, building outer walls and raising the height of the lake.[1] | ||
| 1243 | Spring | Simon de Montfort gets custody of Kenilworth castle |
| Henry III bestowed the custody of Kenilworth castle to Simon de Montfort. Simon's wife Eleanor (Henry's sister) already owned Odiham Castle so Simon had two of the strongest fortresses in England under his control.[3] | ||
| 1258 | Jun | Odiham and Kenilworth handed over to the King |
| As an act of faith, Simon de Montfort handed over his castles at Odiham and Kenilworth as part of the proposals put forward in the Provisions of Oxford. | ||
| 1264 | Summer | Edward moved to Kenilworth |
| Edward (I) was held captive at Wallingford Castle but after an escape attempt he was moved to Kenilworth Castle.[3] | ||
| 1265 | Summer | Armies march |
| Simon's son was sent to London to raise money and troops. He diverted back through Winchester which was loyal to the king and then moved through Oxford and Northampton. Edward (I) moved from Worcester to Bridgnorth destroying bridges and means of allowing Simon who was on the Welsh side of the Avon from crossing back. The people of Bristol, friendly to Simon's cause sent ships to Newport to help Simon cross, but they were intercepted and destroyed by Edward.[3] | ||
| Aug 1 | Younger Simon attacked at Kenilworth | |
| Simon's son was attacked at Kenilworth during the night being taken completely by surprise and having no chance to defend himself. They had decided to stay in the village rather than in the castle. The younger Simon managed to reach the safety of the castle. | ||
| Aug 4 | Battle of Evesham | |
| Using the banners of Simon's son captured at Kenilworth, Edward (I) approached Simon's position at Evesham. Simon was hemmed in the bend of the river Avon and forced to fight. Simon was defeated and killed. Simon's youngest son took refuge in Kenilworth castle , where prepared for a long siege, managed to hold out until December 1267.[3] | ||
| Sep 16 | Peace with the Barons | |
| After the defeat of Simon de Montfort at Evesham, a limited agreement of peace was declared between Henry and the barons. Some resistance remained at Kenilworth and the Isle of Ely until 1267. | ||
| 1266 | Oct | Mise of Kenilworth |
| The rebel barons were given the option by Edward to buy back their properties. Edward was careful not to cause friction between the king and the barons that may have restarted a war.[4] | ||
| 1326 | Nov | Edward captured |
| The King was captured in Wales at the Abbey of Neath. He had hoped to get some support in Wales but that was not to be the case. The Despensers were also captured. Hugh Despenser was given a short trial and executed as a traitor. Edward was taken to Kenilworth castle and imprisoned.[5] | ||
| 1361 - 1399 | John of Gaunt owns Kenilworth | |
| John of Gaunt married Blanche, the daughter of Henry, Duke of Lancaster. Henry owned Kenilworth Castle and when he died (?) John became Duke of Lancaster and took ownership of the castle. Gaunt rebuilt the hall and constructed new grand apartments.[1] | ||
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