In fact, the central tower of the castle (also called “the keep”), which still stands today, was built by King Henry II. The keep served as a last point of refuge in case of an attack. This keep was unique because it was probably the most elegant one in the entire kingdom “with an elaborate fore-building, two residential floors above a basement, two chapels and many mural chambers, and even plumbing. ” (Every Castle 2014 )He also built rectangular walls surrounding the castle. These walls were thick and tall and were most likely built to fortify the castle to protect the nobles. Every Castle 2014 ) After Henry II passed, his work was carried on by King John and was immediately tested by the French in 1 ,215 when the bloody civil war began. This war was called the Barons’ War and it lasted about a year. In 1216, Prince Louis of France invaded England. Many of the citizens of England were unhappy with King John at the time so it was fairly easy for Prince Louis of France to carry out his invasion. At a certain point, he had conquered about half of England. He failed to fully invade and claim the Dover Castle and soon after King John’s death, he lost a lot of his support.
Therefore, he was never able to add England to his kingdom. In the thirteenth century, Henry Ill repaired many of the walls and added to his ancestors fortress by building what is now known as the Norfolk Tower. (Goodly 2012) Remarkable Features The Dover castle contains various tunnels that were actually built in 1 , 216 during the Barons’ War. These tunnels are truly fascinating because they were used during World War l. Another reason why they are so intriguing is cause tunnels are not easy things to make these days despite all the technological advances, so it must have taken a really long time to build them back then.
It makes you wonder what they needed these tunnels for. The location of the castle is by far the most fascinating thing because it has proven to be so popular throughout history. Why would they choose to build the castle on the coast? Would that not make the castle more vulnerable to invasion? Its location is definitely a big reason why this castle was so popular throughout history. Prior to the Norman invasion, its previous inhabitants mainly used the location as a fort.
However, the kings of England really regarded this castle as a sign of power since it was the first thing that many people saw when heading over to England from mainland Europe. Conclusion In conclusion, the Dover Castle changed a whole lot in history as different kings ruled England. Despite all the changes, the castle is very well preserved and holds a lot of history even after the medieval times. In fact, the castle was again remodeled in nineteenth century. It was redesigned into a more contemporary fort that finally contained artillery. It was also used in World War I.
This again goes to show how great the location for this castle was and how valuable it is to history. These days, the site is used as a tourist attraction and hundreds of people visit the site everyday to discover the deep history that this structure holds within it. (Every Castle 2014 ) 3 Questions 1) Who actually resided in the Dover Castle? Did the kings live in the Dover Castle? 2) How close did Prince Louis of France get to overtaking the Castle? What exactly happened? 3) What was the main purpose of the castle? Why did William I choose to build the castle in that location? 4) What were the tunnels used for?