Rochester Castle Facts & Worksheets

• In 1127, King Henry I allowed the Archbishop of Canterbury to build a large stone tower, or keep, inside the castle. This keep became the main feature of the castle and still stands today. It was used as living space, a symbol of power, and a strong point of defence. By the end of the 12th century, Rochester Castle was one of the strongest and most important Norman castles in England.

Later Medieval Period (1200–1500)

• During the later medieval period, Rochester Castle remained important, but it was also badly damaged by war and slowly fell into decline.
• At the start of the 13th century, the castle was still under the control of the Archbishops of Canterbury, although King John wanted more direct control because of its strategic position blocking the route to London. Tensions between the king and his barons grew, and in 1215 Rochester Castle became a centre of conflict during the First Barons’ War. Rebel barons took control of the castle and heavily defended it with knights, archers, and soldiers.
• King John laid siege to Rochester Castle in October 1215. This was one of the longest and most violent sieges in England at the time. Siege engines were used to attack the walls, and miners dug tunnels beneath the keep. One corner of the keep collapsed after a mine was set on fire, but the defenders continued to resist from behind an internal wall. Conditions inside became desperate, with food running out, before the garrison finally surrendered. Many defenders were imprisoned, and the castle suffered severe damage.
• After King John’s death in 1216, his son Henry III became king. Rochester Castle was returned to royal control, and large sums of money were spent on repairs between 1217 and the 1230s. The damaged keep was rebuilt, including the construction of a new round tower to replace the destroyed corner. The walls, ditches, and buildings inside the castle were also repaired, and new chapels and living spaces were added. During this time, the castle was both a fortress and a royal residence.
• In 1264, Rochester Castle was again involved in fighting during a civil war between King Henry III and rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort. The castle was besieged, and although the defenders held out in the keep, much of the rest of the castle was damaged by fire. After this siege, repairs were slow, and parts of the castle were left in ruins.
• By the 14th century, Rochester Castle was no longer a favoured royal home. Surveys showed it was in poor condition. Some repairs were later carried out, especially during the reigns of Edward III and Richard II, when new towers were built and walls strengthened because of threats from France during the Hundred Years’ War. The castle was also briefly taken by rebels during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.

Early Modern to Modern Period (1500–Present)

• By the 16th century, Rochester Castle had lost most of its military value. New weapons, such as cannons, meant that medieval castles were no longer effective for defence. This change is shown by the leasing out of the castle ditch from the mid-1500s and by the reuse of stone from the castle between 1599 and 1601 to help build nearby Upnor Castle, an artillery fort designed for gunpowder warfare.
• Despite its decline as a fortress, the castle continued to be used and visited. In 1540, King Henry VIII visited Rochester Castle in disguise to meet Anne of Cleves, who was staying there on her journey to Greenwich. The meeting went badly, as Anne did not recognise the king, and the event later became part of the story of their short-lived marriage.
• In 1610, King James I granted control of the castle to Sir Anthony Weldon. Members of the royal family, including Anne of Denmark and Princess Elizabeth, visited the castle in 1613. By this time, the castle was already partly ruined. Even in the 17th century, Rochester Castle may have attracted visitors interested in its history. During the English Civil War, the castle saw no fighting, which suggests it was no longer useful for defence. It was also spared deliberate destruction, which helped preserve what remained.
• During the 18th century, parts of the castle were pulled down and stone was sold, although some towers were still used for living space and prisoners were held there for a time. Ownership of the castle passed through several families. Although there were plans to reuse the castle as an army barracks in 1780, these plans were never carried out. Around this time, the ruins became fashionable, inspiring artists such as J. M. W. Turner, who painted the castle as part of the growing interest in historic landscapes.
• In the 19th century, Rochester Castle became closely linked with literature and public life. Charles Dickens, who lived in Rochester, described the castle ruins in his novels and helped make them famous. Gardens were created inside the castle, and in 1872 it was opened to the public as a park. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, repairs were carried out, ivy was removed, and the site was carefully managed to prevent further damage.
• In the 20th and 21st centuries, the castle came under state protection. Responsibility for its care passed to national heritage bodies, and conservation work has continued, although access to parts of the keep is now limited for safety reasons. Today, Rochester Castle is protected as a nationally important historic site and is open to the public.

Architecture and Design of Rochester Castle

• Very little is known about the first castle at Rochester Castle, as it has completely disappeared. It was probably a motte-and-bailey castle, built from wood and earth, with a raised mound and an enclosed yard protected by timber fences. A nearby rocky outcrop called Boley Hill may have been linked to this early castle, either as part of its defences or as a temporary military position.
• The later stone castle, begun in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, was surrounded by curtain walls and built in the south-west corner of the town. Parts of the old Roman town walls were reused as foundations. From across the River Medway, the castle and cathedral would have stood out clearly, showing the power of both the church and authority in medieval Rochester.
• The most important feature is the great stone keep, built in the early 12th century. It has a square plan and rises to about 38 metres, making it one of the tallest Norman keeps in England. The keep was built mainly from Kentish Ragstone, with smoother Caen stone used on the outside. Its walls are extremely thick, about 12 feet at the base. During the siege of 1215, one corner collapsed and was later rebuilt as a rounded south-east turret, which is visible on the plan.
• The keep was designed for both defence and living. The entrance was on the first floor, not at ground level, and was reached through a forebuilding with steps and a drawbridge, making entry difficult for attackers. Inside, a thick cross wall runs through the centre of the keep, dividing it into two halves so that one side could still be defended if the other was taken.
• The ground floor was mainly used for storage, while the upper floors contained the main living areas. These included the great hall and main rooms, where meals were eaten and official business was carried out. The best rooms were on the second floor, which had higher ceilings and more decoration. A small room built into the wall thickness in the north-west corner, often called Gundulf’s Chamber, may have been a private room for the castle official.
• Movement inside the keep was controlled by spiral staircases, one in the north-east corner linking all floors and another in the south-west corner leading upwards. A well shaft ran up through the centre of the keep, providing fresh water on every level, which was vital during sieges.
• Around the keep were the curtain walls, wall towers, and a ditch, forming extra layers of defence. Although many of the outer defences have been damaged or lost over time, the plan and surviving remains clearly show how the castle was carefully designed to defend an important river crossing and control access to the town.

Main Parts of Rochester Castle:

• Great keep – The main stone tower, used for defence, living space, and as a symbol of power
• Curtain walls – Stone walls surrounding the castle, forming the main outer defence
• Wall and corner towers – Strengthened the walls and provided lookout and fighting positions
• Gatehouse – Controlled the main entrance into the castle
• Ditch (moat) – A deep ditch around the castle to slow and expose attackers