Inspiration – Hertford Castle

Hertford Castle was a Norman castle situated by the River Lea in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire, England. Only the gatehouse survives and is a Grade I listed building. Hertford Castle was built on a site first fortified by Edward the Elder around 911. By the time of the Norman Invasion in 1066, a motte and bailey were on the site surrounded by a moat. William the Conqueror granted the castle to Peter de Valoignes, the High Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire.

Following the death of Angelo Salvo in 1216, a French invasion besieged the castle for a month until the governor, Walter de Godarvil, surrendered. However, the country then supported Henry III and by 1217 the French had left. Following this, the castle’s military role became secondary to its use as a royal residence and in 1299 Edward I gave it to his second wife Margaret.   read more