Berkeley Castle, their ancient fortress home
where they have lived since their ancestor, Robert Fitzharding,
completed the Keep in the late 12th Century.
The history played out within
Berkeley Castle’s walls make it one of the most remarkable buildings in
Britain and the family hope that you will visit them to experience its
special atmosphere.
The most remarkable thing about the Castle is that for nine
centuries, the building, the Berkeley family, the archives (which go
back to the 12th Century), the contents, the estate and the town have
all survived together.
It has all the trappings to match: trip steps designed to make the
enemy stumble during an assault, arrow slits, murder holes, enormous
barred doors, slots where the portcullis once fell, and worn stones
where sentries stood guard.
It is also a fairytale Castle with its warm pink stone that glows
in soft sunset light. Outside, the battlements drop some 60' to the
Great Lawn below; but inside the Inner Courtyard, the building is on a
human scale, with uneven battlements, small towers, doors and windows of
every shape and size. The surrounding land would have been flooded for
defence.
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