Canterbury Castle Facts for Kids

This page is about a castle in England. For the historic strurcture in Portland, Oregon, see Canterbury Castle (Portland, Oregon).

Quick facts for kids Canterbury Castle
The interior of Canterbury Castle
General information
Town or city	Canterbury, Kent
Country	England
Coordinates	51°16′32″N 1°04′29″E / 51.275686°N 1.074618°E / 51.275686; 1.074618

Canterbury Castle is an old Norman castle in Canterbury, Kent, England. It's easy to find, just a short walk from the train and bus stations. This castle was one of three important royal castles in Kent. The other two were Rochester Castle and Dover Castle. They were all built after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Their job was to protect the main road from Dover to London. This was the route William the Conqueror took when he invaded England.

History of Canterbury Castle
Governors of Canterbury Castle
Images for kids
See also

History of Canterbury Castle

Early Norman Castle

The first castle built here in 1066 was a "motte and bailey" castle. This type of castle had a large earth mound, called a motte. On top of the motte, there was a wooden tower. Around the motte was a fenced yard, called a bailey. The mound you can still see in the Dane John gardens might be this original motte. The name "Dane John" may even come from the word "donjon," which means a strong tower.

Building the Stone Castle

Later, a huge stone tower, called a keep, was built. This happened during the time of King Henry I. It was one of the three royal castles in Kent. This massive stone structure was about 98 feet long and 85 feet wide at its base. It was probably at least 80 feet tall! The castle was mostly made from flint and sandstone.

By the 1200s, the castle started being used as the county gaol, which is another word for a prison. In 1380, a new gate was added to the castle.

Later Years and Modern Use

By the 1800s, a gas company owned the castle. They used it to store gas for many years. During this time, the top floor of the castle was destroyed.

Since 1928, the local government has owned the castle. It has been closed since 2018 because parts of it were falling down. There are plans to fix it up and open it again in the future.

Governors of Canterbury Castle

The Governors were important people who looked after the castle. They were in charge of keeping it in good shape and making sure it was safe. The castle stopped being owned by the king in 1625.

Some of the people who were Governors include:

1216–1232: Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent (He also looked after Dover and Rochester Castles)
1232–: Stephen de Segrave (He also looked after Rochester Castle)
1259–: Nicholas de Moels (He also looked after Rochester Castle)
1261–: Robert Walerand (He also looked after Rochester Castle)
1272–: William de Eschetesford

From the late 1200s onwards, the castle was mainly used as a prison.