Leicester Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leicester Castle |
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| Leicestershire | |
The Great Hall
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 Leicester Castle
Shown within Leicestershire
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| Coordinates | 52°37′56.4″N 1°8′28.3″W / 52.632333°N 1.141194°W |
| Type | Norman |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public |
everyday |
| Site history | |
| Built | 11th century |
| Built by | William the Conqueror |
| In use | Law court |
| Official name: Leicester Castle and the Magazine Gateway | |
| Designated: | 26 June 1924 |
| Reference #: | 1012147 |
Leicester Castle is an old castle found in the city of Leicester, in Leicestershire, England. It's located in the western part of Leicester City Centre, near De Montfort University. Today, you can still see a big motte (a large mound of earth) and the Great Hall. These are the main parts left of what was once a huge castle. The Great Hall now has a newer front built in the Queen Anne style. Leicester Castle and the nearby Magazine Gateway are protected as a special historic site.
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History of Leicester Castle
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Leicester Castle was an important part of the town's defenses in the Middle Ages. It was built on top of old Roman town walls. The castle was likely built around the year 1070, not long after the Normans took over England in 1066. This was done under the rule of Hugh de Grandmesnil.
The castle originally had a large mound, or motte, that was about 40 feet (12.2 meters) high. Over the years, many important people visited or lived here. Kings like Edward I (in 1300) and Edward II (in 1310 and 1311) stayed at the castle.
Two famous people, John of Gaunt and his wife Constance of Castile, both passed away at the castle in the late 1300s. Also, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, a key leader during the early parts of the Hundred Years' War, died here in 1361.
From Royal Home to Courthouse
Leicester Castle became an official home for kings during the reigns of Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, and Edward IV. However, by the mid-1400s, it was no longer seen as a suitable royal residence. Instead, it started being used mostly as a courthouse. Important legal meetings were held in the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was also used for special meetings of the Parliament of England. One famous meeting was called the "Parliament of Bats" in 1426. This happened because conditions in London were not good for Parliament to meet there.
The English Civil War and Beyond
During the English Civil War in 1645, Leicester was attacked by King Charles I's army. A part of the castle wall, near the Turret Gateway, still shows holes that were made by the town's defenders. These holes were used as firing spots for guns when the Royalist army attacked and took over Leicester.
The top floor of the Turret Gateway was destroyed much later, in 1832, during a riot related to an election.
In the 1880s, the famous writer J. M. Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan, often visited the Great Hall. He worked there as a reporter for the Nottingham Journal when it was still being used as a courthouse.
Images for kids
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The Great Hall
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The Great Hall, now with a Queen Anne frontage, is the main standing remains of Leicester's medieval castle.
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A view of the castle wall
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The motte in early 2018
