CASTLE

PROGRAMME 2: ROCHESTER SIEGE

Rochester Castle in Kent is the main focus for this programme. It is typical of the stone keeps (a square stone tower) from the 12th century that were built to replace earlier motte-and-bailey castles, which were no longer strong enough.

When Rochester Castle was built it was the tallest building in the land. As home to the Archbishop of Canterbury, it was a palace as well as a fortress, and traces of its lavish interiors are still evident in the elaborate stonework. Marc Morris shows us the architecture of the castle and its sophisticated defence features. A visit to the well-preserved Hedingham Castle, built at roughly the same time as Rochester, gives us a better idea of what the interior would have been like.

We learn about the fascinating 1215 siege of Rochester Castle, one of the most significant sieges in British history. In a dispute between a group of English barons and King John, who had ignored all the things he had promised to do in the Magna Carta, Rochester Castle was the centre of an epic fight. With King John and his men on the outside and the barons on the inside, the siege went on for months until, by a combination of undermining and constant bombardment, the castle was finally captured.

Marc talks to modern-day experts to learn more about battle techniques in this period.

PROGRAMME AIMS

The programme should enable students to:

• Appreciate how far castle building had developed since motte-and-bailey castles
• Use a variety of sources of evidence to understand what happened in the Rochester siege
• Explore the various techniques of warfare that were employed at this time
• Have an insight into the Magna Carta and King John's actions in this period.