Elizabeth Gate and Fortress

Elizabeth Gate and Fortress, originally uploaded by Rusty Marvin (with Janus & the wolfs).

LR-12328 - Had to go retailing here's a few more attempts at some snow scenes

Carisbrooke Castle
There has been a fortress at Carisbrooke since at least Saxon times, but the present castle was begun in about 1100, when the Isle of Wight was granted to the de Redvers family. They raised the great stone shell-keep on its towering mound, and after 1262 the formidable Countess Isabella de Redvers extensively rebuilt the whole stronghold. Following the addition of its double-towered 14th-century gatehouse, Carisbrooke experienced its only serious siege in 1377, beating off a French raiding force. After the Spanish Armada passed alarmingly close in 1588, threatening seizure of the Isle of Wight, Carisbrooke was updated as an artillery fortification by surrounding it with 'bastioned' outer earthworks, still impressively visible.

Most famous among Carisbrooke's extensive cast of past residents was King Charles I, imprisoned here in 1647-48 after his defeat in the English Civil War. At first comfortably accommodated in the Constable's Lodging, his plots to renew the war later made him a closely guarded captive: an attempt to escape was foiled only when he became wedged in the window bars.
Later History...
Much later, Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter and Governor of the Isle of Wight between 1896-1944, made Carisbrooke Castle her summer home after 1914. The Edwardian-style Princess Beatrice garden, designed by TV and radio gardening presenter Chris Beardshaw, was inspired by the princess, and includes a fountain and plantings in the rich colours of the royal arms. Citation

slide show of the set

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carisbrooke castle fortress sky snow