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| By Bob McCaffrey from Rickmansworth, UK (Raglan Castle (2)) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
But, in its heyday, Raglan Castle would have been a destination in
itself. A weary traveller on the old medieval route through the village would have
been overawed by the vast crenelated towers as they appeared dramatically over
the brow of the hill. He would then be forced to take the path circling the
castle. Constrained to ride around the Great Tower and moat, he could not help
but notice the impenetrable walls, the defensive towers, the soaring gatehouse.
Once inside he would have looked up at vast walls that shadowed the sun, to see
fluttering pennants against the clear blue sky. He would have craned his neck at
the carved stone badges and shields above the gate expressing the awesome power
of the Earl. Only then would he pass through to the inner Fountain Court to
discover another entrance, this time to the Great Tower and the Family’s living quarters.
All this was designed to impress, put a visitor on his guard, and make any
prospective enemy think again.
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| Philip Halling [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], |
The castle we see today was
begun in 1415 by William ap Thomas, a veteran of Agincourt, who purchased the
manor of Raglan for one thousand marks. It was William who conceived the basic
shape of the castle although much of the building work took place after his
time.
William’s son dropped the ap Thomas and began to call himself
William Herbert. He was active on the side of York during the Wars of the Roses
and also fought in the Hundred Years War. It was William Herbert who carried
out most of the medieval phase of the building and added extensive parkland,
orchards and fishponds. As a Yorkist supporter Herbert’s fortunes flourished
and in 1461 Edward IV made him Lord Herbert of Raglan.
In 1461 at the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross Herbert’s half-brother,
Henry Vaughn, captured the Lancastrian, Owen Tudor, father of Jasper and
grandfather of Henry, and executed him in Hereford. Owen’s son Jasper was
forced to flee the country, leaving his nephew, Henry Tudor, behind at Pembroke
castle.
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| Sir William Herbert. |
In 1468 Herbert became the first Welshman to be made an Earl; the
Earl of Pembroke, replacing the now attainted Lancastrian, Jasper Tudor. He also
became Justice and Chamberlain of South Wales and one of the King’s closest
advisors and friends.
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| Henry VII |
He was given custody of the young Lancastrian heir, Henry
Tudor (later Henry VII) and the boy spent much of his childhood at Raglan while
his uncle Jasper Tudor agitated for the return to a Lancastrian rule. Although
held as a prisoner Henry was gently treated, receiving an education and
instruction in military skills.
But William Herbert’s fortunes did not last and after the Battle
of Edgecote Moor in 1469 Herbert, along with his brother Robert, was executed.
His daughter Elizabeth married Charles Somerset, a natural son of Henry
Beaufort, third Duke of Somerset, and with her, the castle passed into the
hands of a new family. Over the course of a few generations the Somersets added
Pitched Stone Court, the Hall, the
Long Gallery and developed the gardens in the new Renaissance style fashion.
The architecture at Raglan marks the transition of British castles
from defensive structures into homes for the rich and powerful. Raglan is
distinctive in the aesthetic details like fireplaces and windows, added in the
Tudor period. Fountain Court takes its name from a magnificent black marble
fountain featuring a white marble horse that once took centre place; its
ostentation can now only be imagined. The fabulous oriel window and the great
stair which gave access to the family apartments above would have been outstanding
in their day. The workmanship of the stonemasons is a clear sign that the
custodians of Raglan employed only the best craftsmen.
Raglan saw little battle action until the Civil War when it was
held under siege by the parliamentarians; when the castle surrendered General
Fairfax ordered it to be completely destroyed under the supervision of Henry
Herbert, a direct descendent of William ap Thomas, the castle’s founder.
Fortunately the castle was not easy to destroy (or perhaps Herbert
didn’t have his heart in it) and the damage was comparatively slight. Although
the family regained their possessions and ownership of the castle after the
restoration the building continued to slide into decay until the 20th
century when it was scheduled as a listed building. It is now administered by Cadw.
But life at Raglan Castle isn’t over yet. Every year Cadw hold
medieval fayres that celebrate the medieval and Tudor world. On the weekend of
May 31 – June 1, 2014 Cadw are holding A Tudor Weekend. As well as enjoying the
splendours of the castle, you can meet Henry VII, Henry VIII, try on a Tudor
costume, hear a talk by historian Emma Knight on Anne Boleyn, and also meet me.
I will be there in my Tudor kit, signing my Tudor novels, TheWinchester Goose, The Kiss of the Concubine, and Intractable Heart, and talking
to fellow Tudor enthusiasts.
I look forward to meeting you there.
You can read more about me and my work on my webpage:
Pictures from Wikimedia Commons.
