Westenhanger Castle facts for kids
Westenhanger Castle is an old, strong house that was once owned by kings and queens! It's located in Kent, England, right next to the Westenhanger train station and the Folkestone Racecourse.
For a while, the castle was falling apart. But now, its owners are working hard to fix it up. They are making sure the castle and its nearby buildings are safe and look good again. Today, Westenhanger Castle is a popular place for meetings and weddings.
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The Castle's Long History
Westenhanger Castle has a very long and interesting past. Its story began almost 1,000 years ago!
Early Beginnings
The land where the castle stands was first owned by King Canute in 1035. Later, in 1343, the de Criol family built the first strong house here. It was a large, square manor house with many rooms. This showed how rich and important its owners were.
Royal Connections
The castle stayed with the de Criol family for many years. But during the Wars of the Roses, a big fight between two royal families, Sir Thomas de Criol was sadly killed. Since he had no sons, Westenhanger Castle went to his son-in-law, Sir John Fogge. At that time, the manor house was huge, with 126 rooms!
Westenhanger Castle has been connected to many famous people throughout history. These include kings like Henry II and Henry VIII, and queens like Queen Elizabeth I.
Queen Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada
In 1588, when Customer Smythe owned the castle, something very important happened. Queen Elizabeth I used Westenhanger Castle as a main base. From here, she commanded 14,000 soldiers from Kent. Their job was to protect England's southern coast from the Spanish Armada, a huge fleet of ships sent by Spain.
A King's Escape
Later, in 1656, King Charles II was living in another country. He was planning to return to England. Westenhanger Castle was a good hiding spot because it was close to the coast. However, there was a plot to harm him. Thousands of armed men were told to hide in the woods nearby. They planned to attack the King when he arrived. Luckily, King Charles II found out about the danger just before he left for England.
Westenhanger Today
Over hundreds of years, the castle became smaller and was not taken care of very well. But since the mid-1990s, the current owners have been working hard to fix it. They are working with English Heritage, a group that helps protect old buildings. Together, they are making sure the stone walls and other parts of the castle do not fall apart.
There are also impressive old barns outside the castle walls. These barns are now owned by the same people as the castle. Work is being done to make them look almost new again. As mentioned, the castle is now rented out for events like conferences and weddings. You can get to it through the entrance to the racecourse.
Connection to America's Founding
Westenhanger Castle has a surprising link to the founding of the United States of America!
The Ship Discovery
Today, you can see a copy of the ship Discovery at Westenhanger Castle. This was one of three ships that sailed into Chesapeake Bay on May 13, 1607.
Sir Thomas Smythe helped start this important trip. He was the son of Customer Smythe, who owned Westenhanger Castle. The younger Thomas Smythe ordered the Discovery to be built in 1600. Along with two other ships, the Susan Constant and the Godspeed, the Discovery sailed for Virginia on December 19, 1606. They arrived the next year, on May 13, 1607, led by Captain John Smith.
Jamestown Settlement
Because of this journey, the first lasting English-speaking town in the New World was built. This town was called Jamestown, Virginia. It became the starting point for what would later become the United States of America.
On December 19, 2008, the Jamestown UK Foundation gave the replica of the Discovery ship to Westenhanger Castle. This charity was set up to remember the 400th anniversary of Jamestown's founding in 1607.
