ENGLISH

An engraving of Broughton Castle, by J. Ryland, published in Dodsley's "England Illustrated" in 1764, and recently added to my collection.

An article from the news yesterday - 25th August 2004 The first stage of work has begun to repair a 16th Century gatehouse in the grounds of Kenilworth Castle. Leicester's Gatehouse was built by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, as an entrance for Queen Elizabeth I. The £450,000 project, which is being funded by English Heritage, is due to be completed in December. A second phase of repair work to the interior of the Warwickshire attraction, which is currently closed to the public, will begin in 2005. The aim is to restore the gatehouse as a suitable venue for public visits, educational use and corporate events. Jesse Berridge, head of visitor operations for Englis…

I received in the post yesterday a small publication on Shrewsbury Castle. The centrefold shows a plan of the town and castle, which I have reduced, scanned and placed below.

From the Express & Star, 9th November 2007 Campaign to protect castle site A campaign group has been reformed in a desperate bid to save Hartlebury Castle, near Kidderminster, from falling into the hands of developers. The campaigners have called for the building to be retained as a tourist attraction and for Church Commissioners to be prevented from selling off a famous library. The Castle has been the home of the Bishops of Worcester since 1255 and the library was built by Bishop Hurd in 1782. Campaigners fear the building could be sold and the library dismantled after Church Commissioners decided to base the Bishop in Worcester. Now The Friends of the Hur…

A copper engraving of Hartley Castle, Cumbria, recently added to my collection. The image is almost identical to the engraving produced by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck in 1739. It is not one of Grose's images, but, given its style, is probably pre-1800.

An engraving of Mettingham Castle, recently purchased, and produced for the Antiquarian Itinerary in 1817.

A few vintage postcards of Richmond Castle, recently purchased. The first one is unused, but the rest are all postmarked 1942.

From the BBC Website, 22nd May 2006 Castle begins major roof repairs A £400,000 project to re-roof a third of Dunster Castle in West Somerset is getting under way. Scaffolding, which will cover part of the west and east fronts and arch over the whole building to encompass the roof, is currently being erected. The castle, more than 1,000 years old, has suffered with roof leaks and its contents and fabric are threatened. Among the vulnerable items and areas are the leather hangings in the Leather Gallery and King Charles' Bedroom. The National Trust's project will involve removing one third of the lead roof to judge whether it needs to be redesigned before a ne…

From the BBC Website, 20th February 2005 Castle's medieval papers on show Documents dating back to the Middle Ages stored in archives at Arundel Castle are being put on display. The permanent exhibition is being set up in the Waiting Room at the West Sussex castle, which overlooks the River Arun and the south coast. The room where visitors waited before visiting the duke will now be used for exhibiting the documents, portraits, pictures and illustrations. A spokesman said the private collection was "one of the finest in the country". Maritime connections She said the Waiting Room, once used as a store room, had been specially restored for the exhibition. T…

I've had an old book in my possession for many years, called "Old England" by Charles Knight. It has many engravings of various castles, but due to its size and age, well nigh impossible to scan any pictures from. So I've now managed to obtain a few pages independently, and have started to scan some of the engravings. Here is one of Tutbury Castle - from around 1850.