Malmesbury Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Malmesbury Castle |
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| Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England | |
 Malmesbury Castle
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| Coordinates | 51°35′04″N 2°05′58″W / 51.5845°N 2.0995°W |
| Type | Motte and bailey |
| Site information | |
| Condition | No surviving traces |
Malmesbury Castle was a castle located in the historic town of Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, England. Even though no parts of the castle can be seen today, its story is an important part of England's history, especially during a time of great conflict.
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Malmesbury Castle: A Story of Power
Malmesbury was a very important place a long time ago, in the early Middle Ages. It was a busy trading town where people bought and sold goods. It was also home to Malmesbury Abbey, a large and powerful church.
Building the Castle
In the early 1100s, a powerful church leader named Bishop Roger of Salisbury took control of Malmesbury Abbey. He decided to build a castle very close to the abbey and the church. This castle was a type called a motte and bailey castle. This means it had a large mound (the motte) with a wooden tower on top, and a walled courtyard (the bailey) below.
In 1139, King Stephen of England became worried about how powerful Bishop Roger and some other bishops were. He didn't trust them anymore, so he took control of their castles, including Malmesbury Castle.
A Castle in Wartime
Soon after King Stephen took the castle, a big fight for the throne of England began. This period is known as the Anarchy, which was a long civil war. A civil war is when people from the same country fight against each other. In this case, King Stephen was fighting against his cousin, the Empress Matilda, who also believed she should be queen. Malmesbury Castle played a key role in this war.
At the start of the Anarchy, a local lord named Robert fitz Hugh quickly captured Malmesbury Castle from King Stephen in 1139. However, King Stephen soon took it back. When he recaptured the castle, his soldiers also attacked and looted the town of Malmesbury.
The castle then became a base for the king's soldiers. They used it to launch attacks on the surrounding countryside. People living nearby complained a lot about these raids. In 1144, another important leader, Robert of Gloucester, tried to capture the castle. He surrounded it and tried to force the people inside to surrender, but he was not successful. The castle stayed under the king's control.
Towards the end of the civil war, in 1153, the future King Henry II finally captured Malmesbury Castle. This was an important step in ending the long conflict.
The End of Malmesbury Castle
Many years later, during the time of King John (who ruled from 1199 to 1216), the monks at Malmesbury Abbey asked the king to destroy the castle. They likely wanted it gone because it had caused so much trouble and destruction in the past. King John agreed to their request. In the early 1200s, Malmesbury Castle was taken down.
Today, there are no visible remains of Malmesbury Castle. Experts and archaeologists are still trying to figure out the exact spot where the castle once stood within the modern town.
