Top 10 Oldest Castles in the United Kingdom

Tintagel Castle. Photo by Allan Henderson – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Oldest Castles in the United Kingdom

*Originally published by Lilian on April 2022 and Updated by Vanessa R on May 2023

If you are a history buff and love to explore old castles, then the United Kingdom needs to be on your bucket list. You will agree that visiting castles is one of the most impressive and unforgettable activities.

The castles are grand and are characterized by their strong, fortified walls, often made of stone. Built thousands of years ago, the castles have been restored and have remained standing for thousands of years.

A lot was taken in when constructing the castles. Some were hunting lodges while others were residential homes for kings and their families.

When you visit the castles, you will find that some of them are still used as residences today. There are daily tours that you can take to learn and explore the castles.  

Check out the top 10 oldest castles in the United Kingdom.

1. Rochester Castle – Construction started between 1087 AD –1089 AD

Rochester Castle. Photo by Clem Rutter – Wikimedia Commons

This castle is located in England and was built in 1088 AD. It is a stone structure that replaced a former castle made of timber. The old castle was destroyed during the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Before the royal family took over the castle, it was occupied by the archbishops of Canterbury. Over the years, the castle was destroyed and rebuilt several times.

William II commissioned Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester to build a stone castle as a command post for an important river crossing.

It helped protect England’s southeast coast from invasion during the medieval period. This stone castle is one of the earliest of its type in England. Most of the castles in England back then were initially built of motte and bailey.

2. Windsor Castle – 1070 AD

This castle was originally designed to protect Norman dominance around the outskirts of London. Additionally, it was used to oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames.

Windsor Castle was built as a motte-and-bailey with three wards surrounding a central mound. It was slowly replaced with stone ramparts.

The castle withstood an extended siege during the First Barons’ War at the start of the 13th century. King Henry III built a luxurious royal palace within the castle mid-13^th century.

Later, Edward III upgraded the palace to make it even grander. It was said to be the most expensive single building project of the entire Middle Ages in England.

Today, Windsor Castle is still owned by the English royal family and is a popular tourist attraction.

3. Warwick Castle – 1068 AD

Warwick Castle from the bridge over the River Avon, Warwick, Warwickshire, UK. Photo by DeFacto – Wikimedia

The original castle to be built on the current site of Warwick Castle was in 1068 by William the Conqueror.

Then at the beginning of 1260, the castle was slowly transformed by stone from motte and bailey. This was done by each successive Earl of Warwick.

In 1350, Caesar’s Tower and Dungeon was constructed followed by Guy’s Tower in 1395. Unfortunately, the castle was ruined in the 16^th century and was only repaired in the 17^th century.

It was owned by the Greville family for over 374 years who sold it in 1978 to the Tussauds Group for £1.3 million (USD 1.7 million). The Group restored the castle and grounds.

4. Alnwick Castle – 1096 AD

This was a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of The 12th Duke of Northumberland.

The castle was built after the Norman conquest and has gone through several renovations. A tourist attraction, the site receives more than 800,000 visitors per year. Additionally, the site has been used by filmmakers and was featured in two Harry Potter films.

It was owned by Ivo de Vesci, John de Vesci, the barony of Alnwick. Since John was underage, King Henry III of England conferred the wardship of his estates to a foreign kinsman, which caused great offence to the de Vesci family. The property was later sold to the Percys.

5. Arundel Castle – 1138 AD

Arundel Castle sits on beautiful grounds above River Arun in West Sussex. It was built in 1138 and hosted some famous royal guests like Queen Victoria in 1846 when she visited with Prince Albert.

The castle is the seat of the Duke of Norfolk and has served as a regal home since the 11th century.

 After a massive restoration project that was completed in 1900, the castle was the first English country house to be fitted with electric lights, lifts and central heating.

Unfortunately, the castle was damaged in the English Civil War and then restored in the 18th and 19th centuries by Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk.

Arundel Castle has been used as a filming location for several television and film productions like the 2009 film The Young Victoria, and the 2017 DC film Wonder Woman.

6. Bodiam Castle

Bodiam Castle, a 14th-century moated castle in East Sussex, as viewed from the north over its drawbridge. Photo by August Schwerdtfeger – Wikimedia Commons

This 14^th century Bodiam Castle is a perfect example of a medieval moated castle. It is located in the heart of 1066 country and is very beautiful as the surrounding area was landscaped to increase aesthetic appeal when the castle was built.

The purpose of the castle was to defend the area against the French during the Hundred Years’ War. Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, the knight of Edward III, built the castle after he was commissioned by Richard II.

In 1641 during the English Civil War, the castle was owned by Lord Thanet. He supported the Royalist cause and sold the castle to help pay fines levied against him by Parliament.

The castle was then taken down and was left as a charming ruin until it was bought by John Fuller in 1829. He restored it and then sold it to George Cubitt, 1st Baron Ashcombe.

Today, the castle is protected as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Monument. It has been owned by The National Trust since 1925.

7. Edinburgh Castle – 1133 AD

View of Edinburgh Castle and the main gate from the Castle Esplanade. Photo by Daniel Kraft – Wikimedia Commons

This imposing Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline of the Scottish capital. It was built in 1130 and has been known as an ancient stronghold, a royal home and army headquarters.

The castle is an important stronghold in the Kingdom of Scotland. It was involved in several historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite rising of 1745.

Few of the present buildings were built before the Lang Siege of the 16th century. This was when the medieval defences were destroyed by artillery bombardment.

The highlight of the castle is St Margaret’s Chapel from the early 12th century. It is the oldest building in Edinburgh, the Royal Palace, and the early 16th-century Great Hall.

Today, the castle is a World Heritage Site.

8. Kenilworth Castle -1066 AD

Built around 1066, Kenilworth Castle is a great example of Norman and Tudor architecture. The castle was subjected to one of the longest sieges in history in 1266.

This castle became famous in the Victorian period after the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s novel Kenilworth: A Romance in 1821. It was also the hypothetical setting for the rumoured royal romance between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley.

There were huge water defences that were used as fortifications around the castle. Water was dammed from local streams.

In 2008 plans were put forward to re-create and flood the original Great Mere around the castle.

9. Tintagel Castle – 1230s AD

Tintagel Castle. Photo by Allan Henderson – Wikimedia Commons

While there are just ruins left now, Tintagel Castle is a mystical affair on the Cornish coast. The castle was built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall in the 1230s.

It also became popular in literature when it was mentioned by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He named Tintagel the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur. Today, the ruins remain to be the source of folklore and legend.

One of the main attractions in this castle is the life-sized bronze sculpture inspired by King Arthur and his chivalric code and noble past. The sculpture was built by artist Rubin Eynon.

10. Nunney Castle – 1373 AD

Nunney Castle. Photo by Ian Alexander – Wikimedia

Lastly is Nunney Castle in Somerset which is Britain’s smallest castle. It started with a tower built by a knight called John de la Mare in 1373 under royal licence.

This is a beautiful castle featuring turrets and a moat. The castle is considered conservative with an unusual design believed to have been built to protect against French invasion.

By the 20th century, Nunney Castle was completely abandoned and left in ruins. was increasingly ruined and covered in thick ivy. A section of its northern wall collapsed in 1910.

In 1926, it was transferred to the Commissioner of Works, who began a programme of restoration work. Today, the castle is run by English Heritage as a tourist attraction and is a scheduled monument.

5 Famous Kings Who Lived in the Castles

1. Henry I, Henry II, Henry III & Edward III stayed at Windsor

Ввласенко, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Henry I was the first monarch to call Windsor Castle his home. In 1121, Henry married Adela, a woman who was Godfrey of Louvain’s daughter, in the castle. Between 1165 to 1179, Henry II, the first 5th-century king, resided at Windsor and built extensively.

Henry III loved Windsor as much, and throughout his reign beginning in 1216, he made significant improvements to the royal quarters there.

The person who affected Windsor the most in the fourteenth century was Edward III. The newly established Order of the Garter had its headquarters in Windsor, which was also to serve as the centre of his court and governance.

2. Edward IV of Warwick Castle

King Edward IV resided at Warwick Castle for a while during his reign, using it as a base to launch military actions against his enemies. It is reported that he increased the castle’s defences by building walls and towers to make it more inaccessible.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who was Edward’s brother, reportedly oversaw the building of the Bear and Clarence Towers, which are still standing, and spent time in Warwick Castle.

William the Conqueror, King Henry II, and Queen Elizabeth I are a few additional well-known historical figures connected to Warwick Castle in addition to Edward IV.

3. Queen Elizabeth of Kenilworth Castle

The final king or queen to stay at Kenilworth Castle was Queen Elizabeth I. Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, hosted her at the castle during her visitation in 1575 and kept her company there for 19 days. It is said to have been one of the high points of Elizabeth’s reign because of the lavish pageantry and celebrations that were held in honour of the visit.

4. King Henry III stayed at Rochester Castle

Shaun Dunmall from Maidstone, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Another English king who stayed at Rochester Castle was King Henry III. He was king from 1216 until 1272 and is known for his vast building initiatives, which included some of Rochester Castle’s construction. It is known that Henry III visited the castle at least once while he was king.

5. King Henry II stayed at Arundel Castle

King Henry II of England ruled the country from 1154 to 1189. It is known that he went to Arundel Castle in 1156 as part of his effort to take power over the bishops and barons who opposed him. Henry II resided in the castle’s keep while he was there and entertained his counsellors.