Beeston Castle is a castle in Beeston, Cheshire, England. The castle, which perches on a rocky crag 150m above the Cheshire plain, was built in 1225 Ranulf de Blundeville, the sixth Earl of Chester, (1170-1232), on his return from the Crusades. It is now ruined and owned by English Heritage. The Alcázar of Segovia, Spain A castle (from the Latin castellum, diminutive of castra, a military camp, in turn the plural of castrum or watchpost), is a fort, a camp and the logical development of a fortified enclosure. ... Beeston is a village in the county of Cheshire in the north of England, south of Tarporley, and close to the Shropshire Union Canal. ... This article is about the English county. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Events Births Thomas Aquinas, Christian philosopher and theologian (d. ... Events December 29: Assassination of Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury cathedral Eleanor of Aquitaine leaves the court of Henry II because of a string of infidelities. ... Events Canonization of Saint Anthony of Padua, patron of lost items Pope Gregory IX driven from Rome by a revolt, taking refuge at Anagni First edition of Tripitaka Koreana destroyed by Mongol invaders Births Manfred of Sicily Arnolfo di Cambio, a Florentine architect (may have been born in 1245) Deaths... This article is about historical Crusades . ... English Heritage is a United Kingdom government body with a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England. ...

The gate to the inner bailey of Beeston Castle as it appears in 2004, with a modern bridge for visitors

Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 198 KB)Beeston Castle in Cheshire, showing the gate to the main keep. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 198 KB)Beeston Castle in Cheshire, showing the gate to the main keep. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Prehistory

Beeston crag is one of a chain of rocky hills stretching across the Cheshire plain. Remains have been found of a Bronze age community living there about 800 BC, and an Iron age hill fort on the site in around 400 BC. The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... Centuries: 10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC Decades: 850s BC 840s BC 830s BC 820s BC 810s BC - 800s BC - 790s BC 780s BC 770s BC 760s BC 750s BC Events and Trends 804 BC - Hadad-nirari IV of Assyria conquers Damascus. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... The term hill fort is commonly used by archeologists to describe fortified enclosures located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC - 400s BC - 390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC Years: 405 BC 404 BC 403 BC 402 BC 401 BC - 400 BC - 399 BC 398 BC...

Earl Ranulf

Ranulf de Blundeville was the only son of Hugh, fifth Earl of Chester, and became sixth earl on the death of his father in 1181, inheriting a rich earldon spreading from Cheshire to Lincolnshire. Ranulf was at war with his Welsh neighbours until 1218 when he made peace with the Llewellyn ap Iorweth (Llewely the Great), and in the same year set out on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On the journey he was pursuaded to join the Fifth Crusade. He returned to England in 1220 and in 1225 began to build the castle at Beeston, putting in to practice new ideas in castle design he had learned in the Middle East. Events Jayavarman VII assumes control of the Khmer kingdom. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the East Midlands of England, traditionally the second largest after Yorkshire. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... Events Damietta is besieged by the knights of the Fifth Crusade. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushalayim; Arabic: القدس al-Quds; see also names of Jerusalem) is an ancient Middle Eastern city of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ... The Fifth Crusade (1217–1221) was an attempt to take back Jerusalem by first conquering the powerful Muslim state in Egypt. ... Centuries: 12th century - 13th century - 14th century Decades: 1170s 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s - 1220s - 1230s 1240s 1250s 1260s 1270s Years: 1215 1216 1217 1218 1219 - 1220 - 1221 1222 1223 1224 1225 See also: 1220 state leaders The world in 1220 Middle Ages in Europe Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Events Mongols... Events Births Thomas Aquinas, Christian philosopher and theologian (d. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

Design of the castle

The castle was located and designed both as an impregnable stronghold and a symbol of power. The defences consisted of two parts. Firstly, a small inner bailey on the summit of the hill with a sheer drop on three sides side and a defensive ditch on the other. Secondly, on the lower slopes an outer bailey was created with a massive gatehouse and again a ditch. In medieval documents the castle is given the apt description Castellum de Rupe, the Castle on the Rock. Unlike many medieval castles, Beeston does not have a single massive tower or keep as its last line of defence. Instead the natural features of the land together with massive walls, strong gate houses, and carefully positioned towers made the bailies themselves the strong hold. The design is thought to be due to Ranulf himself, but he did not live to see his castle completed. Bailey is the name of some places in Canada Bailey, New Brunswick Bailey Corners, Ontario Baileys Beach, Ontario Baileys Brook, Nova Scotia Bailey is also the name of some places in the United States of America: Bailey, Colorado Bailey, Michigan Bailey, Mississippi Bailey, North Carolina Bailey, Texas Bailey... A ditch with water can be used for drainage and irrigation. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Royal castle

Although most of the defences were in place, there were no living quarters at Ranulf's death in 1232 and this remained so on the death of his successor John in 1237. Earl John died without a male heir and King Henry III took control of the Earldom of Cheshire and Beeston himself. Wars with Wales continued after the brief peace brokered by Ranulf, and Beeston played an important part in these conflicts. However, no attempt was made to equip the castle as a permanent residence with halls and chambers. Garrisons were probably housed in wooden structures in the outer bailey. Events Canonization of Saint Anthony of Padua, patron of lost items Pope Gregory IX driven from Rome by a revolt, taking refuge at Anagni First edition of Tripitaka Koreana destroyed by Mongol invaders Births Manfred of Sicily Arnolfo di Cambio, a Florentine architect (may have been born in 1245) Deaths... Events Thomas II of Savoy becomes count of Flanders. ... Henry III (October 1, 1207 – November 16, 1272) is one of the least-known British monarchs, considering the great length of his reign. ...

In 1254 Henry gave Beeston together with other lands in Cheshire to his son Prince Edward. He also gave the title Earl of Chester to the prince, a title that has always since been conferred on the heir to the throne of England. Edward was crowned king of England in 1272 and completed the conquest of Wales. Beeston was nevertheless kept in good repair and improved during his reign, and throughout the 14th century. By the 16th century the castle was considered of no further use by the English Crown and passed too Sir Hugh Beeston of Beeston Hall. The defences were neglected and parts collapsed. Events December 2 - Manfred of Sicily defeats army of Pope Innocent IV at Foggia. ... King Edward I of England (June 17, 1239 – July 7, 1307), popularly known as Longshanks because of his 6 foot 2 inch frame and the Hammer of the Scots (his tombstone, in Latin, read, Hic est Edwardvs Primus Scottorum Malleus, Here lies Edward I, Hammer of the Scots), achieved fame... The Earldom of Chester is one of the few palatine earldoms in England. ... Events August 6 - Stephen Vs death makes his son, Ladislaus, King of Hungary. ... (13th century - 14th century - 15th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...

Civil war

With the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, many neglected castles were pressed in to service. Beeston was seized on 20 February 1643 by parliamentary forces commanded by Sir William Bereton. The walls were repaired and the well was cleaned out. In 1643 part of the royal army of Ireland landed in Chester. On 13 December 1643 Captain Thomas Sandford and eight soldiers from that army crept into Beeston at night and persuaded the larger parliamentary force commanded by Captain Thomas Steele to surrender. Steele was tried and shot for his failure. The English Civil War (or Wars) refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, specifically to the first (1642–1645) and second (1648–1649) civil wars between the supporters of King Charles I and the supporters of... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events January 21 - Abel Tasman discovers Tonga February 6 - Abel Tasman discovers the Fiji islands. ... Events January 21 - Abel Tasman discovers Tonga February 6 - Abel Tasman discovers the Fiji islands. ... Chester is the county town of Cheshire in the north-west of England, close to the border with Wales. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 21 - Abel Tasman discovers Tonga February 6 - Abel Tasman discovers the Fiji islands. ...

The Royalists survived a siege by parliamentary forces from November 1644 until November 1645 when they surrendered due to lack of food. The noun or adjective, Royalist, can have several shades of meaning. ... A siege is a prolonged military blockade and assault of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. ... Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... Events January 10 - Archbishop Laud executed on Tower Hill. ...

Present day

The castle is owned by English Heritage, and although ruined enough of the walls and towers are still in place to provide a clear picture of how it would have looked in its prime. It is open to visitors and has a small museum and visitor's centre. English Heritage is a United Kingdom government body with a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England. ...

Bibliography

• K Osborne, Beesdon Castle, English heritage, 1995, ISBN 1850745412

External links

• Beeston Castle at English Heritage (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.139)
• Map sources (http://www.rhaworth.myby.co.uk/oscoor_a.htm?353715_359280_region:GB_scale:100000) for Beeston Castle