Tag: Dover Castle

The top ten English castles….?

My two favourite kings, Richards II and III, get a mention in this article Top 10 castles in England (readersdigest.co.uk). All ten castles are splendidly impressive, but there are so many more, equally splendid and impressive, that are omitted. As witness Arundel above. But if you’re selecting your own top 10 in England, these are… Continue reading The top ten English castles….?

The story of Dover Castle….

  When a land bridge connected us to the rest of the continent of Europe, the area that became Dover wasn’t of any particular importance but once the land bridge disappeared the white cliffs at Dover became the point on our coastline that is closest to France. July 2022 saw the port of Dover becoming… Continue reading The story of Dover Castle….

Marc Morris on mediaeval television programmes and films …

… programmes and films about the Middle Ages, not actually made during them – which would require an even greater advance that the Viking discovery of America before Columbus … Here he discusses: The Game of Thrones (2013), Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (1991), Ironclad (2013), The Last Kingdom (2015), Vikings (2013), Braveheart (1995)

Dyer or Dire?

Many of you will remember the episode of “Who do you think you are” in which Danny Dyer was revealed as a descendant of Edward III. In this new two part series, he “meets” a few prominent ancestors, some even more distant. The first episode began with Rollo, ancestor of the Dukes of Normandy, which… Continue reading Dyer or Dire?

Was Sir Gawain’s head still displayed in Dover Castle in 1485….?

One of the greatest of Arthur’s knights was Sir Gawain, hero of (among other legends) the tale of the Green Knight. There is some very interesting information about Gawain here: I always knew that the Welsh tradition has Gawain (Welsh – Gwalchmai) buried as follows:- “The grave of Gwalchmai in Peryddon, as a disgrace to… Continue reading Was Sir Gawain’s head still displayed in Dover Castle in 1485….?