Castle Rising

While Grandma was here we did manage to do a little local touring, and in case you're wondering why we're on such a castle kick, it's because we joined the English Heritage Society. With that membership we get to visit lots and lots of these castles and manor houses for free, so we're trying to take full advantage!

Our castle for the weekend was Castle Rising, built in the 11oos.  It's claim to fame is that it is where Queen Isabella was exiled to by her own son, King Edward III, after she (supposedly) plotted with her lover, Roger Mortimer, to have her husband, King Edward II, killed.  After the king's death Isabella and her lover raised her son, the young King Edward III, until he had enough, and then he had Mortimer killed and his mother exiled to this castle... which is seriously in the middle of nowhere!   Talk about some family issues!

This is what is left of the square keep in the middle.

The grand stairway... that Grandma climbed up on crutches.  (Which was nothing compared to the spiral stairs she climbed on the inside!)

Little e the ham.

The great hall.  There was once a floor in the middle here, so this would have been at least two stories tall in the 1300s when Isabella called this home.  You can see the square holes on the wall on the right where the floor joists would have been inserted.  Looks like a cozy place for a retirement huh?

And my new favorite picture of both boys.  It is still nearly impossible to get a good picture of both of them, so I love it when I actually accomplish it!