In 1066, not long after Canterbury submitted to William The Conqueror during the Battle of Hastings, a Castle was built with a motte and bailey structure in order to guard the route William had taken from Dover to London. This made Canterbury Castle one of the three original Royal Castles of Kent, along with Rochester Castle and Dover Castle built around the same time, according to CastlesFortsBattles.co.uk. Its motte is still currently visible as the mound in the Dane John Gardens, which originated from the French word ‘donjon’, meaning keep. The great stone keep was constructed between 1086-1120, however, once Henry II’s new Castle was built at Dover, Canterbury Castle began to decline and eventually became the county gaol. In addition to the partly restored keep, a significant section of the town wall remains and its history goes back even further to medieval times. It was in 1928 that Canterbury City Council purchased the Castle and then went on to restore its ruins to their present condition, although it is now currently closed due to health and safety concerns, and there are plans for it to be restored.

Opening Hours
External viewing only.

Price
Free.

Picture Credit: © CastlesFortsBattles.co.uk.