Castles and Fortifications of England and Wales

A Millennium of Military Defences

The Castles and Fortifications of England and Wales site shows information on 731 English and Welsh castles and forts that have been built since the eleventh century and are still standing, or at least have some visible remains. A set of maps is used for navigation and to show other castles nearby. Over 2000 were erected over the last 1000 years, particularly between 1066 and 1200, but most were built from earth and wood and now exist only as a motte, or grassy mound.

What is listed?

As well as castles, the site also includes information on the remaining 13th to 15th century fortified houses and pele towers, fortified Bishop's palaces and the 17th to 19th century coastal forts. The database currently contains details of the 447 sites - 321 castles and 126 forts - that are worth visiting plus another 284 that are in ruins. Some do not have photographs yet but more are being regularly added as I visit (or as kind people help me out). The missing ones can be seen by clicking on the castle picture above.

Using the site

Start with the Country Map button, choose the area of country you wish to see and then either click on the castle icon links, or use the dropdown lists if you are looking for a particular site. There is also a brief history of castle building over the last 1000 years - click the Historical button to view.

I have tried to categorise the sites into Castles and Forts that have substantial remains, those (a few) that are no longer standing ( Ruins ), Private sites that are not open to the public or are only open for a few days a year, and Bishop's Palaces . It also shows the location of some of the modern ( 19th century ) buildings designed to look like castles, but there are no details of these more recent dwellings.