Hertford Castle

Hertford Castle stands beside the River Lea in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire. Built in the Norman era, it began as a motte and bailey with a moat around 913. William the Conqueror gave the castle to Peter de Valognes, the High Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire. Henry II rebuilt it between 1170 and 1174, adding flint walls, drawbridges and gatehouses. The castle later passed to the Crown and became a royal residence under Edward I, who gave it to his second wife Margaret. The castle played a key role in royal and military history. Edward II imprisoned Knights Templar there in 1309. Isabella of France and her son Edward III often stayed at the castle, where Isabella died in 1358. During the Hundred Years' War, it held high-ranking prisoners including King David II of Scotland and King John II of France. John of Gaunt used it as his chief country home until his death in 1399. Today, the main surviving section is the Tudor gatehouse, a Grade I listed building. Parts of the bailey walls on the east side still stand as a Grade II* listed structure. The grounds became a public garden in the early 20th century. The gatehouse once housed Hertford Corporation’s administration and now forms part of the town’s heritage. The castle’s history is reflected in its remaining walls and gatehouse, standing as a reminder of its past.