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All the United Kingdom England Walmer Castle and Gardens
AO Edited

Walmer Castle and Gardens

This curious Tudor-era castle was once home to Napoleon's greatest adversary, the Duke of Wellington.

Walmer, England

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Mictlān Tēcutli
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Walmer Castle   Karen Roe
View of the castle and its gardens   Karen Roe
Walmer Castle   Karen Roe
Interior dining room of castle   dale_mcentee
Castle glasshouse garden   Manuel Jorge Marques
Interior corridor of the castle   The Little Greene Paint Company
Entrance to the castle   sctkirk
Cannon and ammunition on the castle battlements along the Kentish coast   Rita Willaert
Inside lord wardens apartments   Steve 55 / Atlas Obscura User
  Steve 55 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Just outside the Kentish seaside town of Deal stands the stalwart Walmer Castle, a structure that has borne witness to civil war sieges and political scandals. 

The original castle was built around 1540 by the forces of King Henry VIII in response to threats from France and the Holy Roman Empire. It was one in a series of fortified structures constructed along the Kentish coast in the cinque port towns (towns of strategic military and economic importance). These castles were a new type of defensive structure, known as a "device fort," featuring a circular keep and several towers allowing for a greater array of artillery to be deployed against an advancing enemy in the event of a seaborne invasion.

The invasion feared during the rule of Henry VIII never came. The castle was updated during the reign of his daughter Elizabeth I in response to the ongoing war with Spain, but again, the invasion never came.

The first recorded use of Walmer Castle during a war occurred in 1648 during the English Civil War when a group of besieged Royalist "Cavalier" forces held out here and fought a desperate battle against a surrounding army of "Round head" Parliamentarians but were eventually defeated and captured.   

However, in the centuries that were to follow the strategic military importance of castles was to decline due to rapid technological advances in mortar warfare. Castles were to eventually become the luxury private residences or places of retreat for the English economic and political elite.

From the 18th century onward Walmer Castle was given as a residence to those who held the symbolic office and title of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, including British prime minister William Pitt and the Duke of Wellington who famously went on to defeat Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. 

 

Related Tags

Military History Military Forts Houses Royalty War Castles

Know Before You Go

The castle is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm. Tickets are available on online and in person.

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Added By

Monsieur Mictlan

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Steve 55

  • Steve 55

Published

December 2, 2021

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Walmer Castle and Gardens
8 Walmer Castle
Walmer, England, CT14 7LJ
United Kingdom
51.200188, 1.401112
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Nearby Places

Deal Maritime and Local History Museum

Deal, England

miles away

The Ham Sandwich Sign

Finglesham, England

miles away

Blériot Memorial

Dover, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,231
Stories 145

Nearby Places

Deal Maritime and Local History Museum

Deal, England

miles away

The Ham Sandwich Sign

Finglesham, England

miles away

Blériot Memorial

Dover, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,231
Stories 145

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