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Kenilworth Castle

1120s establishments in England12th-century fortificationsBuildings and structures completed in the 1120sCastles in WarwickshireEnglish Heritage sites in Warwickshire
Gardens in WarwickshireGrade I listed buildings in WarwickshireGrade I listed castlesGrade I listed ruinsHenrietta MariaHistoric house museums in WarwickshireHistory of WarwickshireJohn, King of EnglandKenilworthRuined castles in EnglandRuins in WarwickshireScheduled monuments in WarwickshireTourist attractions in WarwickshireUse British English from November 2020Water castles in the United Kingdom
Kenilworth Castle gatehouse landscape
Kenilworth Castle gatehouse landscape

Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England managed by English Heritage; much of it is still in ruins. The castle was founded during the Norman conquest of England; with development through to the Tudor period. It has been described by the architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant for its scale, form and quality of workmanship".Kenilworth played an important historical role: it was the subject of the six-month-long siege of Kenilworth in 1266, thought to be the longest siege in Medieval English history, and formed a base for Lancastrian operations in the Wars of the Roses. Kenilworth was the scene of the removal of Edward II from the English throne, the perceived French insult to Henry V in 1414 of a gift of tennis balls (said by John Strecche to have prompted the campaign that led to the Battle of Agincourt), and the Earl of Leicester's lavish reception of Elizabeth I in 1575. It has been described as "one of two major castles in Britain which may be classified as water-castles or lake-fortresses...".The castle was built over several centuries. Founded in the 1120s around a powerful Norman great tower, the castle was significantly enlarged by King John at the beginning of the 13th century. Huge water defences were created by damming the local streams, and the resulting fortifications proved able to withstand assaults by land and water in 1266. John of Gaunt spent lavishly in the late 14th century, turning the medieval castle into a palace fortress designed in the latest perpendicular style. The Earl of Leicester then expanded the castle during his tenure in the 16th century, constructing new Tudor buildings and exploiting the medieval heritage of Kenilworth to produce a fashionable Renaissance palace.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Kenilworth Castle (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Kenilworth Castle
The Tiltyard,

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Wikipedia: Kenilworth CastleContinue reading on Wikipedia

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Latitude Longitude
N 52.3479693 ° E -1.5923611 °
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Kenilworth Castle

The Tiltyard
CV8 1NG , Castle Green
England, United Kingdom
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Kenilworth Castle gatehouse landscape
Kenilworth Castle gatehouse landscape
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The Water Tower, Kenilworth
The Water Tower, Kenilworth

The Water Tower is a building in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England. It is understood that the building was constructed as a windmill in the mid 18th Century by Joseph Lee of Warwick, described as Gentlemen and John Lamb of Warwick, Haberdasher. There is evidence of a sale in 1778 of the Mill as a going concern. The building continued to be used as a working windmill until 1854 when steam power was introduced. In 1885 the mill machinery was removed and the building converted into a water tower. This involved the doubling of the height of the brickwork and surmounting it with a 26,000-gallon iron tank. This became the town's first Waterworks and provided most of Kenilworth's water supply until 1939. The supply from this tank was in fact in use for auxiliary purposes until approximately 1964. In 1970 Kenilworth Urban District Council, anxious to ensure the preservation of such an important and historic landmark, offered it for sale by tender on condition that it should be sympathetically restored and converted for use as a private dwelling house. Plans submitted by the Architect, Mr Edward Byron of Leamington Spa, on behalf of Lt Col Michael Wheat, were accepted and a conversion was commenced in late 1972 and completed in 1974. This imaginative conversion incorporates a new ground floor extension cleverly designed to harmonise with the character. The tower and the whole now forms a unique and comfortable home successfully linking the past with the present. From the upper floors there are magnificent views over the ancient town of Kenilworth with its famous castle and the tower stands within a few hundred yards of the field known as Parliament Piece where it is reputed Simon De Montfort held the first English Parliament in 1264. In 1975 the property won an Architectural Heritage Award from the United Kingdom Council for European Architectural Heritage. The award was signed by Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. A notable tale involving the windmill from the early 19th century is of a brave local, one Jerry O'Hea who showed his fortitude by grabbing a hold of one of the windmill sails. His arm got caught and he was carried round and round until the miller applied the brake. Previous residents include businessman Stephen Drucker known chiefly for his role in running the Druckers Vienna Patisserie chain, and Gordon Cain a historic buildings surveyor who worked as project manager for the St George's Bloomsbury's restoration.