Bro Castle in Great Britain
Rating: 7,9/10 (213 votes)  The ruins of this Norman castle are located in the Paradise Valley of Cumbria, near the Church of Bro in the countryside. It was founded in 1090 on the site of the former Roman fort. The castle was supposed to serve to guard the routes leading from Yorkshire to Lancashire. Bro is one of the very first stone castles. In some places its walls are lined with herringbone masonry, characteristic of early Norman architecture.
In 1136, Bro and nearby Appleby Castle were captured by the Scots. Control of the castle was returned by the British only in 1157. In 1173 the castle was again besieged by the Scots under the leadership of William the Lion. Then part of the castle was destroyed - only the watchtower and the outer walls remained from it. The castle was slightly restored in 1190, but the largest restoration work began in 1203, when the castle was transferred by King John to Robert de Vipon. Under him, a gate fortification was built here, the main hall was equipped and the main tower was restored.
In 1269 the castle was transferred to the Cliffords. Then the Tower and one more hall were added to the castle ensemble. Until 1521, the castle was the privileged home of the Clifford family. However, this year, at Christmas, a massive fire caused colossal damage to the castle.
Until 1661, the castle was in poor condition, but Lady Anna Clifford became interested in it. She came to grips with the restoration of the castle and in 1663 a memorial plaque was erected here, which reminds of Anna's participation in the restoration of Bro.
After Lady Anne died, the castle passed to her grandson. Thomas Tufton began to destroy the castle little by little, taking a stone for the reconstruction of Appleby. After some time, the details of the houses and roof coverings were sold, and the memorial plaque was used at a nearby water mill. The castle was saved from complete destruction only by the fact that in 1920 it was bought by the state. Now anyone can visit and inspect the castle.We also recommend reading Pontefract Castle in Great Britain Topic: Bro Castle in Great Britain. |
