Time Team Forum Friends :: View topic – TTFF trip – Deal and Walmer Castles

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:03 pm    Post subject: TTFF trip – Deal and Walmer Castles

images here

http://ourpasthistory.com/TTF/album38

report by Anne B

In 1539, fearing a seaborne invasion from the allied Catholic countries, Henry VIII designed and had built three castles to protect the stretch of Kent coast known as the Downs. They represented the first coastal defences erected along this coastline since the Saxon Shore forts nearly 1300 years previously. The castles were named, north to south, Sandown, Deal and Walmer. The former was largely demolished in the nineteenth century, and today all that remains is a fragment built into the sea defences. Deal and Walmer, however, survive – and on July 13th, Cantiaci Time Team Forum Friends descended upon them, complete with packed lunches, guide books and a lot of children! Adults were Anne, Bob, Shaun, Alison, Co, Caz, Chris and Mark. As is common on Cantiaci trips, they were outnumbered by the children, who numbered an impressive nine. Deal Castle retains its air of military austerity. Its thick, squat semi-circular bastions were designed to deflect shot, and openings existed for as many as 145 guns. Shortly after construction it played host to Anne of Cleves after her landing in this country, on her way to wed the King. A historical society were re-enacting this visit during our exploration, a fitting parallel to the undoubted importance of OUR arrival. Deal never actually suffered foreign attack, although it provided a hospital for injured Spanish when a Dutch-Spanish sea battle raged off the coast on 11 October 1639. It finally saw action in 1648 during the English Civil War when its Royalist garrison, in 1648, was beseiged by the parliamentarian Colonel Rich. The seige lasted from 12 July until 25 August, the garrison only surrendering after learning of the Royalist defeat at Preston. By the 1700’s Deal had declined in importance as a fortification, although it continued to be manned and was altered to provide more comfort in the late 1720s. It ceased to be garrisoned after the Napoleonic Wars and was used only as the residence of the Captain of Deal, a title which – like the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports – was now a status symbol rather than a military post. The Captain’s Lodging was extended, and ultimately became the only part of the castle to be destroyed in warfare – by a Luftwaffe bomb! By 1945, the military history of Deal Castle had come to an end. Today, the interior of Deal is stark and functional, with a few military trappings. Its basement catacombs provide a dark and atmospheric area for children to explore, narrow and twisting to foil possible invaders. One can imagine (struggling through that maze of narrow corridors), how difficult it would have been for an enemy, having breached the castle, to actually fight the defenders. Even the acoustics were disorientating – we could hear the sounds of our exploring kids, without having any idea of how far or close they actually were!Our second visit, a mile to the south, was to Walmer Castle. Built along similar lines to Deal, but with fewer bastions, Walmer’s later development stands in remarkable contrast to its neighbour. This is due to its designation, in 1708, as the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Throughout its history, the post has been held by many distinguished people who have left their opulent mark on the building and its grounds. Some rooms have been converted into museums of memorabilia, particularly regarding the Duke of Wellington who, as Lord Warden, died at Walmer in 1852. Visible today is the room and the chair he died in, alongside his favoured Army camp bed, preserved now exactly as it would have looked 150 years ago. In a display case in the neighbouring room are his Lord Warden uniform and his famous boots! Other notable Wardens have included Pitt the Younger, WH Smith, Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother. The Cantiaci children displayed less interest in the grandeur of Walmer’s interior, and who could blame them after the dark, creepy tunnels of Deal. However, once we ventured outside into Walmer’s marvellous grounds, they were in their element! Venturing to the garden designed by Penelope Hobhouse to mark the Queen Mother’s 95th birthday , they noticed that the 95-foot long lily pond was full of small amphibians and spent at least an hour excitedly scooping up and handling them! The Gardens, like the Castle, bear the influence of Lord Wardens over the centuries. They include an oval lawn containing lime trees planted by Pitt, a Kitchen Garden both productive and ornamental, a drained moat resplendant with trees and shrubs, a 1930’s croquet lawn and a ‘glen’, created around 1803 by Lady Hester Stanhope from old chalk quarry. It was a very successful Cantiaci trip. The weather was on our side, the two Castles were fascinating, and the children had an excellent time! All thanks for those who made the journey, as it was the contribution of all involved which made the day as good as it was. Let’s hope our future trips can match it! images here

http://ourpasthistory.com/TTF/album38

_________________Corinne Mills

Metal Detecting – helping to uncover archaeology
Image Database