Rochester Castle
May. 23rd, 2018 10:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphiloRochester castle was closed to visitors last week and was still closed yesterday. Something to do with hand rails and carpenters not turning up when they said they were going to. One of these days I'm going to get in there and climb to the top. One of these days....
But probably not before the end of July, said the lady on the desk.
Rochester Castle has, I'm told, the tallest Norman keep in England or possibly the world. A bunch of bold bad barons holed themselves up in it during the reign of King John (also bold and bad) and the king besieged them and brought down one of the corner towers by throwing stones at it. The damage was later repaired- which explains why one of the towers is round while the others are square. Charles Dickens wanted to be buried in the moat- which then served as the cathedral graveyard- but a grateful nation insisted he be dug into the foundations of Westminster Abbey instead- which is a great pity. Why should London have all the best cadavers? 'T'ain't fair.
But probably not before the end of July, said the lady on the desk.
Rochester Castle has, I'm told, the tallest Norman keep in England or possibly the world. A bunch of bold bad barons holed themselves up in it during the reign of King John (also bold and bad) and the king besieged them and brought down one of the corner towers by throwing stones at it. The damage was later repaired- which explains why one of the towers is round while the others are square. Charles Dickens wanted to be buried in the moat- which then served as the cathedral graveyard- but a grateful nation insisted he be dug into the foundations of Westminster Abbey instead- which is a great pity. Why should London have all the best cadavers? 'T'ain't fair.
