A castle has stood here since the 11th century, but most of what remains was the work of William de Valence, Henry III’s half-brother, in the late 13th century. His castle survived little altered until 1646, when Parliamentarians besieged it during the Civil War. Its Royalist garrison surrendered after a two-month siege. A locally-made cannon called Roaring Meg was used to bombard the garrison into submission. The only surviving mortar from the Civil War, it is now on display in the castle courtyard.

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