The evidence of that all castles were used as a leisure and tourism attraction was that there was a Tudor garden also there was a gift shop selling souvenirs.
In the 1100’s typical developments of castles were altered to stone. They were altered to stone for protection to stop enemies burning down the wooden castles. This typical development was common in every castle. There was no evidence to show that a motte and bailey was present at this time at Kenilworth castle because this castle was altered to stone. Even though there are not some obvious features of a motte and bailey castle i.e. wood but there was evidence for that there was a keep, which was common in motte and bailey castle, also a ditch, which was another feature of a motte and bailey castle. From my own knowledge the ditch was used to stop enemies reaching the castle.
In the periods 1200-1390 the typical developments of castles were gatehouse, a mere, a causeway, curtain wall and towers. These developments were all for defence. This was very typical of castles to have these developments. The source that shows that castles were used as defence with all the developments I have said is shown in source 11.
The sources that show the developments of castles are sources 8 & 9.
The reliability of source 11 is not very reliable but from my own knowledge the siege of 1266 did occur.
The evidence of the siege is that the buildings were destroyed in certain places.
Also a great hall was built. This was not used for defence but for luxury. The source that supports this is source 1. This was very typical and reliable because castles were in between wars and luxury.
In the 1500’s the typical developments in castles were the keep (windows/new entrance), stables, new entrance to castle, Leicester’s building and garden.
These changes occurred because there were no wars so these changes were used for luxury. The evidence that supports this is that during the 1500’s there were fewer arguments so they decided to use the castles for luxury and pleasure. This was very common in all castles. The sources that support my views are sources 6, 7 and 13. These sources are very reliable because there are still some buildings left in Kenilworth castle that are still new (Leicester’s Building).
In the civil war the typical development of castles was that curtain walls were taken down, the mere was drained and the keep was damaged. This happened because the leaders of the country did not want a rebellion t bring back the king. The evidence that supports this is the damaged keep, the missing gates and the loss of the water in the mere. This did occur in other castles al over the country so there could not be a rebellion. The sources that support my views are sources 2, 3, 4 and 5. These sources are reliable because Kenilworth castle was damaged and also the gate was missing.
During the periods 1100’s to 1200’s Kenilworth castle was built. The very first Norman castle was simple. It was a round enclosure defended by an earth bank and a ditch. It also had a timber palisade on top of the bank and a tall mound topped by a watch over. Inside the enclosure there would have been a hall, kitchen, stables and barns.
The keep had three floor levels, the top most being a fighting gallery equipped with arrow slits. The arrow slits were widened at the lower end to give a better field of plunging fire into the inner court if attackers had got that far in the castle.
The improvements made during the periods 1200’s to 1390’s at Kenilworth castle was that King John radically extended the castle. An outer perimeter wall was built with towers at intervals. The castle ditch was replaced by another cut into the inner bank. A fortified dam was thrown up to create an enormous shallow lake upstream of the castle.
John of Gaunt’s great hall was used for meetings, meals and sometimes sleeping with kitchen services at one end and private apartments at the other end. The original hall was on the ground floor open to the roof.
During the periods of 1500’s Kenilworth castle was further improved. The earl of Leicester improved the palace by erecting a range of lodgings between the old keep and the medieval hall and chambers, together with stables and an outer gatehouse and a pleasure garden.
During the civil war Kenilworth castle was claimed by the crown and eventually sold in 1611 for a very low price. After the battle of Edgehill the castle was in parliament hands. They determined to destroy it but Earl of Monmouth who had managed to remain in occupation as the Queen’s steward successfully petitioned that it might be ‘slighted’ with as little spoil as to dwelling how has it might be. The slighting was done by blowing up the most outer wall of the keep and breaching the wall of the outer ward, also the mere was drained. In 1984 English heritage became responsible for its care.
From source 8 it shows in the 1100’s that the castle was basically for protection. When the castle was built the features were a bailey, a gateway and a keep.
In the 1200’s source 10 shows tat earl of Leicester was appointed by the king to be governor of Kenilworth castle. The source shows that the earl of Leicester wonderfully fortified the castle.
In the periods 1200 to 1390 there were many improvements. The source that shows these improvements is in source 9. The features added were a mere, Mortimer’s tower, a causeway, the brays, a lower pool, tower and an outer bailey.
During the end of the 1500’s Kenilworth castle was less important. Source 6 says the ‘development of gun powder and cannons made castles less important’.
This was because castles could be destroyed more easily. Source 7 shows the castle was used for luxury. The other evidence of castles of being used for luxury is source 13.
During the civil war the sources indicate that the castles were slighted due to stop a rebellion against the government to bring back the king.
The reliability of the guidebook is very reliable because it has taken evidence from different history books, which are combined to give the real history and not the suggested history of the castle and other castles around England.
The reliability of the source book is not reliable as the guidebook because some sources were written years after the events happened and some didn’t. The sources that have a more chance of being reliable are the primary sources. Primary sources are sources that are written during the time something has happened and secondary sources are sources, which are written after it has happened. The sources that are primary sources are 2,4,5 &7.
The sources that are secondary sources are 1,3,6,8,9,10,11,12 & 13. This means there are many sources in the source guidebook, which could not be true so overall the guidebook is unreliable.