UPNOR CASTLE

Kent

Upnor Castle is a real oddity.  It is quite unique amongst English Castles.  It was begun in 1559 to protect Chatham Dockyard (across the River Medway).  It was the only Castle Queen Elizabeth I ordered to be built.  The construction took until 1567, and was to a completely new kind of plan.

The Castle is all angles, and it's most distinctive feature is the arrow-head shape bastion which protrudes into the River and is surrounded by a wooden palisade fence, although this wasn't added until 1601.  The great oak door in the landward entrance Gatehouse was supposed to have come from Rochester Castle, which also 'donated' some stonework.  In fact, so much stone was taken from Rochester that Roy has remarked that if you pay to visit Rochester you should only have to pay half price to enter Upnor!

A chain was strung across the Medway and other smaller fortifications were added all along the River.  In 1667 the Dutch sailed up the Medway, straight past all of this and burnt half the English Fleet where it was moored in the Dockyard.  Upnor Castle didn't fire a shot.  A year later it was decommissioned.

From 1668 until 1827 it was used as a munitions store.  Some damage occurred in World War II when no less than two bombs fell close to the Castle.

Today it is owned by English Heritage and is open during the summer.

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© Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions, Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Photos and Artwork - Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
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2001