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Defence of the Realm

Sam Willis looks at how castles survived into the Tudor era. But these strategic seats of power had to become palaces to impress monarchs such as Elizabeth I.

Sam Willis explores how, by the Wars of the Roses, castles were under attack from a new threat - the cannon - but survived into the Tudor era only to find their whole purpose challenged. What had once been strategic seats of power now had to keep up with the fickle fashions of the court and become palaces to impress monarchs such as Elizabeth I.

Just as castles seemed to have lost their defensive function, the English Civil War erupted. The legacy of that tumultuous period resulted in castles no longer being associated with protection. Rather, their ruins took on a unique appeal, embodying a nostalgia for an age of chivalry that became a powerful part of the national psyche.

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59 minutes

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Last on

Mon 24 Jun 2024 02:00

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Music Played

  • Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Andrew Davis

    II. Vivace Non Troppo From Symphony No. 3 In A Minor, Op. 56 "Scottish"

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Sam Willis
Director Matthew Thomas
Producer Matthew Thomas
Series Producer Ben Southwell
Executive Producer Michael Poole

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