| Warspite1 | 24 Nov 2023 2:55 a.m. PST |
A handsome 14th century castle in East Sussex which incorporates a lethal entrance of murder holes and multiple portcullises as well as some of the earliest hand gun loops in England. Yes the nation which believed in the longbow was already incorporating guns into defences in 1385. My new video is here: YouTube link My Flickr photos are here: link Also featured is the Bodiam pillbox, a WW2 bunker built to defend the adjacent bridge over the River Rother. Barry |
 20thmaine  | 24 Nov 2023 3:23 a.m. PST |
Hmmm…it's a very pretty castle and it does have a Steam Train as well…. ….but Conwy or Caernarfon Castle ? |
| Warspite1 | 24 Nov 2023 3:32 a.m. PST |
@20th Maine:
All the North Wales castles (Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech, Beaumaris, Rhuddlan, etc) are handsome but I think the 'perfect' claim for Bodiam is that it is the most perfect castle in England! (that's my excuse and I am sticking to it!). :) Barry |
| BillyNM | 24 Nov 2023 4:48 a.m. PST |
More of a vanity project / status statement than a serious fortification, hence the picturesque nature. |
| Warspite1 | 24 Nov 2023 11:04 a.m. PST |
@BillyNM:
If you want to see a real vanity project try my earlier video on Baconsthorpe, in Norfolk. Made from local field flints and cheap brick, it looks like the sort of plasterboard and plywood structure you would find on a film set: YouTube link and link This latter link shows what the castle looks like if you can actually get into it. Currently it is fenced-off for major restoration. Barry |
| Midlander65 | 24 Nov 2023 11:47 a.m. PST |
Certainly a top contender in the UK, in part for the unspoilt setting (for example not having a 19th C rail bridge with faux castle features next to it) and excellent preservation. |
 miniMo | 24 Nov 2023 7:27 p.m. PST |
Tis a lovely castle!
If I was going to model a castle though, Carlisle would start at the top of the list for the raid to free Kinmont Willie and so many border battles across the centuries.
Baconsthorpe certainly has its charms. |
| Cerdic | 25 Nov 2023 10:50 a.m. PST |
Bodiam is an example of medieval social mobility, which is a bit of a surprise to most people today who believe such a thing didn't exist back then! The bloke who built it had acquired huge wealth and a title in the wars. His father had acquired a knighthood, and his grandfather had been a humble woodsman or some such. Hence the desire for a status symbol… |
 Dal Gavan | 27 Nov 2023 4:59 p.m. PST |
Thanks, Barry. If I get back over there I'll make a point of getting to that castle. |
returns from Mexico with a new vision for making palm trees from scratch.
