Christchurch Castle in the UK, Bournemouth Resort
Rating: 7,5/10 (100 votes)  Christchurch Castle is an ancient dilapidated castle located in the village of Christchurch, Dorset. Scientists believe that the first wooden fortress on the site of today's picturesque ruins was created in the X century.
The fortress was built to protect the strategically important settlement along the Avon River and the bridge across this river from Viking attacks. It was a standard wall-tower building. After the Norman conquest, the fortress was significantly destroyed and rebuilt. Then ditches and embankments were added. The walls were rebuilt in stone. The oldest fragments of masonry date back to 1160. At the same time, the importance of the castle also changed: attention was paid not to protection from external threats, but, mainly, to pacification of the local population. Then the castle was used for various purposes and was gradually completed. In the 14th century, for example, a large tower was built.
Christchurch Castle stood until the middle of the 17th century, when it was destroyed by Cromwell's orders. The ruins of the walls, towers and sections of the moat have survived to this day.
Next to the castle is the Constable's House, which is an example of residential Norman architecture. The house was built at the same time as the first fortress, in the middle of the 12th century. Today the house is better preserved than the castle. The masonry of the walls has survived, including a unique example of a Norman fireplace, one of five that have survived to the present day. The first floor of the house was used as a warehouse. Two staircases led to the second floor - an internal and an external one. In the 13th century, a"wardrobe", in other words, a dressing room, was set up in the constable's house.
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