From the Isle of Wight County Press, 16th March 2006
Heavy Mob Lift Cannonball
Proving the adage that people really will steal anything — even if it is bolted down — a 47lb cannonball, complete with 3ft-long hooked retaining bolt, has been stolen from Carisbrooke Castle. The nine-inch-diameter ball was stolen at 5.30pm on Saturday by three men in their twenties, police said.
Two are described as 5ft 10in, one with collar-length light hair and the other with short-cropped dark hair and the third 5ft 2in with long blond hair. All three are white. But if they thought they had stolen a valuable artefact they will be disappointed. English Heritage valued the cannonball at Ł30.
Anyone with information should contact PC Daniel Fairbank on 0845 045 4545 or call the anonymous Crimestoppers number, 0800 555 111.
Full Version: Carisbrooke Castle
Sounds like a prank, which unfortunately may mean the cannonball is lost.
I hope they drop it - on their feet 
From a high height! 
In which case, make it their heads. 
Oh cut the nonsense, why not just bring back the executioner!
When I was a lad..............
When I was a lad..............
Except for Windsor, I've probably got more vintage postcards of Carisbrooke than any other castle.
What the heck are they going to do with a cannon ball?
Queen Victoria would not be amused.
Queen Victoria would not be amused.
More cards.
More cards.
More cards.
More cards.
and more cards.
Nice Andrew! I like the interiors very much.
Some photos from 1912.
The castle in 1780.
In 1781.
In 1784. (courtesy of www.antiqueprints.com)
In 1830.
In 1840.
In 1869. (courtesy of www.antiqueprints.com)
... and some up-to-date pictures.
I really like this...any plans available?
Plans.
I really need to visit Carisbrooke one day, such a mixture of architechural design.
Right from medieval to those Tudor windows.
Right from medieval to those Tudor windows.
I do have more detailed plans in a book at home. Unless someone beats me to it, I'll dig them out and scan them.
The reason I have so many pics of Carisbrooke, is that my Mum was brought up very close to the castle, and my parents have collected more cards and prints than I have. I'll inherit those one day.
Ah, so that's where you get it from, if they have more than you, that'll be some collection, but lets hope it's a longgg time before you get your hands on them!
They've only got more cards and prints of Carisbrooke than I have. My collection in total far outnumbers theirs.
A basic history, from The Castles of England and Wales by John Kinross.
The Romans had a camp at Carisbrooke and in A.D. 530 the invading Jutes under Ceredic and Cynric defeated the islanders at Withgarasburh, or Carisbrooke. William the Conqueror gave the island to William Fitz Osbern who built the Norman keep; his son Roger completed the castle. He was imprisoned by William for rebellion and the Crown owned the land until it was granted to Richard de Redvers in 1100. His son Earl Baldwin retreated here after his defeat at Exeter in 1136 when he was fighting for the Empress Maud, Henry I’s daughter, against Stephen.
The castle, described as ‘ornately built of stone’ with a high motte and two square baileys, surrendered when the water supply gave out. The Great Hall, or part of it, was built by Baldwin’s younger son and the castle was enlarged by the last of the de Redvers family to hold Carisbrooke, Isabel Countess of Albermarle. When she died she left her property to Edward I and it remained with the Crown until Edward III granted it to his daughter Isabel in 1355.
Richard II granted it, together with the lordship of the island, to William de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, and he constructed the three-storey block next to the Great Hall. The defences must have been in good condition for in 1377 the French burnt Yarmouth and Newtown but failed to take Carisbrooke whose constable, Sir Hugh Constable, forced them to retire on the death of the French commander and the payment of a thousand marks to the troops. During the Wars of the Roses Carisbrooke belonged to the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Somerset and Lord Scales, all of whom were convicted of high treason. During Elizabeth I’s reign elaborate surveying and strengthening were carried out against the threat of possible Spanish invasion. A falcon gun of this period can still be seen in the museum.
The most famous person to stay at Carisbrooke was Charles I. He was brought here in November 1647 by his friends hopeful that some kind of settlement could be made with Parliament and that Charles would win over to his cause the governor, Colonel Hammond, a Puritan related to John Hampden. When Charles signed a treaty with the Scots to restore him to the throne he soon found he was not a guest but a prisoner, and he made three attempts to escape. He could not get through the window because of an iron bar and later when Henry Firebrace, his gaoler, gave him a file, one of the officers of the watch, a Major Rolfe, betrayed him to Hammond. On another occasion he found a crowd waiting for him under the window so he did not move. Finally after a year on the island, the king was moved to Hurst Castle in Hampshire, from where he left for Whitehall and his execution in January 1649. Charles’s two young children, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Henry, lived here after his death. Elizabeth died in September 1650 of an illness and young Henry was allowed to join his brother Charles in Holland in 1652, a rare example of Cromwell’s kindness. Princess Beatrice, youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, was Carisbrooke’s last royal resident.
The gatehouse bears the arms of Anthony Woodville and others on its 15th century doors. The chapel is dedicated to St. Nicholas and is the island war memorial. The museum contains pictures and relics of the island’s history. The well house with its donkey wheel is a great attraction for the younger visitors.
The Romans had a camp at Carisbrooke and in A.D. 530 the invading Jutes under Ceredic and Cynric defeated the islanders at Withgarasburh, or Carisbrooke. William the Conqueror gave the island to William Fitz Osbern who built the Norman keep; his son Roger completed the castle. He was imprisoned by William for rebellion and the Crown owned the land until it was granted to Richard de Redvers in 1100. His son Earl Baldwin retreated here after his defeat at Exeter in 1136 when he was fighting for the Empress Maud, Henry I’s daughter, against Stephen.
The castle, described as ‘ornately built of stone’ with a high motte and two square baileys, surrendered when the water supply gave out. The Great Hall, or part of it, was built by Baldwin’s younger son and the castle was enlarged by the last of the de Redvers family to hold Carisbrooke, Isabel Countess of Albermarle. When she died she left her property to Edward I and it remained with the Crown until Edward III granted it to his daughter Isabel in 1355.
Richard II granted it, together with the lordship of the island, to William de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, and he constructed the three-storey block next to the Great Hall. The defences must have been in good condition for in 1377 the French burnt Yarmouth and Newtown but failed to take Carisbrooke whose constable, Sir Hugh Constable, forced them to retire on the death of the French commander and the payment of a thousand marks to the troops. During the Wars of the Roses Carisbrooke belonged to the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Somerset and Lord Scales, all of whom were convicted of high treason. During Elizabeth I’s reign elaborate surveying and strengthening were carried out against the threat of possible Spanish invasion. A falcon gun of this period can still be seen in the museum.
The most famous person to stay at Carisbrooke was Charles I. He was brought here in November 1647 by his friends hopeful that some kind of settlement could be made with Parliament and that Charles would win over to his cause the governor, Colonel Hammond, a Puritan related to John Hampden. When Charles signed a treaty with the Scots to restore him to the throne he soon found he was not a guest but a prisoner, and he made three attempts to escape. He could not get through the window because of an iron bar and later when Henry Firebrace, his gaoler, gave him a file, one of the officers of the watch, a Major Rolfe, betrayed him to Hammond. On another occasion he found a crowd waiting for him under the window so he did not move. Finally after a year on the island, the king was moved to Hurst Castle in Hampshire, from where he left for Whitehall and his execution in January 1649. Charles’s two young children, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Henry, lived here after his death. Elizabeth died in September 1650 of an illness and young Henry was allowed to join his brother Charles in Holland in 1652, a rare example of Cromwell’s kindness. Princess Beatrice, youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, was Carisbrooke’s last royal resident.
The gatehouse bears the arms of Anthony Woodville and others on its 15th century doors. The chapel is dedicated to St. Nicholas and is the island war memorial. The museum contains pictures and relics of the island’s history. The well house with its donkey wheel is a great attraction for the younger visitors.
A falcon. That's quite a small cannon isn't it? Like the ones they used to sit at the prow of a ship. I'm not great on guns, have a phobia of gamekeepers 
Three pictures of the castle from "Old England".
Brilliant.
I really like the architectural details....you have some great images.
Andrew must have a huge house to store all his stuff!
Yeah ! Liz keeps complaining that the shelves might come down. Of course, a lot of these are only on the computer, saved to disc(s).
I had my own 'library' room until Rebecca came along, longing for the day I can get all my books back from the attic!
I can't wait to build a library...I have enough books to fill one...its going to have a nice fireplace too...
Sounds good, mine is a small visitors bedroom now, for daughter No1 or MIL, has a great view of the hills from the window, and if those d*** builders hadn't put a house right on the corner, I'd be able to see Ben Lomond from there!
There was a request for the plans. My most recent castle guide by English Heritage (Published in 1985, but reprinted in 1996) has very poor plans in it. However, I have an old guide dated 1948 which has some great plans.
Here's one of the inner part of the castle. (which I've had to reduce from A3 size)
Here's one of the inner part of the castle. (which I've had to reduce from A3 size)
Plan of the entire castle and earthworks, from the same source. I had to photocopy this one onto TWO A3 sheets, and do the good ol' cut and paste with scissors and tape.
WELL DONE on the plans!!
From the Isle of Wight County Press, 21st September 2006
Castle set to give up its secrets
Work on the first-ever archaeological excavation of Carisbrooke Castle began this week and could uncover the human remains of some of the Isle of Wight's earliest residents. The three-week English Heritage dig aims to find out about the Privy Garden's history from Saxon, medieval and Georgian periods, up to the present.
Archaeologists hope to confirm whether the area was used as a cemetery in Saxon and medieval periods. There is also the prospect of revealing buildings from the Norman period (11th and 12th centuries), when the current motte-and-bailey castle was erected and further evidence of the late Saxon fortifications which came before it.
The Privy Garden, as it is now known, became a garden in the 1700s and English Heritage is eager to unearth evidence of how it looked and was used. A preliminary survey has revealed parch marks and uneven areas, which could be evidence of pathways and flowerbeds.
Tracey Wahdan, visitor operations director for the south east, said: "English Heritage is very excited to be excavating the Privy Garden as it will enable us to identify key periods in the history of the garden and its characteristics at those times. It will give us a rare insight into its development over the centuries and will increase our knowledge of Carisbrooke Castle. There is a very real chance we could unearth some early Islanders."
Any archaeological finds will be announced at the end of the dig. The results will influence the new design for the garden, which is part of a larger scheme to enhance visitors' enjoyment of the castle. The area is thought to have been an enclosed cemetery until about 1700, when it was shown as a garden on plans.
It evolved from a simple open space with trees, to an area with paths and flowerbeds by the 1880s. In 1904, possibly under Princess Beatrice's influence, a lawn was laid on top of the paths and three flowerbeds were established. Variations on this design remain today.
Carisbrooke Castle is one of the UK's best examples of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle. It was built on an isolated chalk hill, which had been used as a high-status burial ground in the 6th century. From the 16th century, it became the official residence first of captains and later governors of the Island. It was taken into the care of the Office of Works in 1856 and after 1944 it was managed as an ancient monument.
Castle set to give up its secrets
Work on the first-ever archaeological excavation of Carisbrooke Castle began this week and could uncover the human remains of some of the Isle of Wight's earliest residents. The three-week English Heritage dig aims to find out about the Privy Garden's history from Saxon, medieval and Georgian periods, up to the present.
Archaeologists hope to confirm whether the area was used as a cemetery in Saxon and medieval periods. There is also the prospect of revealing buildings from the Norman period (11th and 12th centuries), when the current motte-and-bailey castle was erected and further evidence of the late Saxon fortifications which came before it.
The Privy Garden, as it is now known, became a garden in the 1700s and English Heritage is eager to unearth evidence of how it looked and was used. A preliminary survey has revealed parch marks and uneven areas, which could be evidence of pathways and flowerbeds.
Tracey Wahdan, visitor operations director for the south east, said: "English Heritage is very excited to be excavating the Privy Garden as it will enable us to identify key periods in the history of the garden and its characteristics at those times. It will give us a rare insight into its development over the centuries and will increase our knowledge of Carisbrooke Castle. There is a very real chance we could unearth some early Islanders."
Any archaeological finds will be announced at the end of the dig. The results will influence the new design for the garden, which is part of a larger scheme to enhance visitors' enjoyment of the castle. The area is thought to have been an enclosed cemetery until about 1700, when it was shown as a garden on plans.
It evolved from a simple open space with trees, to an area with paths and flowerbeds by the 1880s. In 1904, possibly under Princess Beatrice's influence, a lawn was laid on top of the paths and three flowerbeds were established. Variations on this design remain today.
Carisbrooke Castle is one of the UK's best examples of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle. It was built on an isolated chalk hill, which had been used as a high-status burial ground in the 6th century. From the 16th century, it became the official residence first of captains and later governors of the Island. It was taken into the care of the Office of Works in 1856 and after 1944 it was managed as an ancient monument.
Postcard of Carisbrooke Castle recently added to my collection.
Two old photographs, taken in 1936, recently purchased, but heading for my Dad's collection. Took the opportunity to scan them first.
Just inherited from my grandmother two framed prints of Carisbrooke Castle. My parents also took the opportunity to clear out a couple of items from their own loft, so I got 5 framed prints in total. I'll try and get round to photographing them next week, when Liz can show me (again) how to operate her digital camera 
Also inherited two castle books (yes, more books), one of which has some rather nice b/w sketches of the four facades of Bodiam Castle, which I'll get scanned and uploaded when I have a few moments to spare.
Also inherited two castle books (yes, more books), one of which has some rather nice b/w sketches of the four facades of Bodiam Castle, which I'll get scanned and uploaded when I have a few moments to spare.
Nice, I look forward to seeing the pics.
Three more postcards of Carisbrooke Castle, purchased at the London Postcard Fair.
Another old postcard of Carisbrooke Castle, recently purchased, and postmarked 1902.
Another old postcard of Carisbrooke Castle, recently purchased.
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