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Carisbrooke: castle entrance,  by Chris Downer,ommons

Top 10 Best Facts about Carisbrooke Castle

Carisbrooke Castle is located in the village of Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight, England. The site was occupied during the pre-roman times. It has been an artillery fortress, a king’s prison, and a royal summer residence. 

Today the site is a quintessential romantic castle with a lot to see and enjoy in the fresh open air. You get to experience  a far-reaching panoramic view from the high castle wars, wander to discover King Charles I, and enjoy the tranquil princess Beatrice Garden

1. Carisbrooke was a central place of power and defence

The  Carisbrooke has been a central place of power and defence of the Isle of Wight for over 1000 years. It was a Saxon fortress and a castle of the Norman conquest. During the leadership of Elizabeth, it was remodelled.

It is famously known for the imprisonment of Charles I during the civil war, and after his execution, Carisbrooke Castle remained a symbolic centre for the island and the residence of its governor.

On the outer lines of defence the curtain wall, bastions and bulwarks were built to enclose the old castle and remain in good condition to this day.

2. The Princess Beatrice Garden

This is a photo of listed building number, Nilfanion – Own work,

The Princess Beatrice Garden was created in 2009 to celebrate the castle’s history and serve as a colourful reminder of a woman who dedicated her time during her life to the Isle of Wight in Carisbrooke Castle. It was an Edwardian-inspired garden.

Carisbrooke Castle has been an artillery fortress, king’s prison, and royal summer residence. The royal connection was continued by Queen  Victoria’s youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice. She opened a memorial museum to her husband in the gatehouse. She later became the governor of the island and took up residence in the castle.

The other royal connection to be explored in the castle was when Earl Mountbatten was installed as the governor of the Isle of Wight at Carisbrooke by Queen Elizabeth II.

4. Carisbrooke castle as Monument

After world war II, the Carisbrooke castle has been a monument. It is now mostly used for island ceremonies and is also a tourist destination. It also serves as the home of the Isle Wight Museum. The major influence on the castle’s present form was Percy Stone. He is an architect and the island’s historian.

He restored the gatehouse and replaced its roof and one upper floor, to make the first Isle of Wright Museum. It was opened in memory of Prince Henry in 1898. He also restored the chapel of St Nicholas to its present quasi-medieval. Its internal appearance resulted from it being used as the island’s war memorial.

5. It is a popular tourist attraction

One of the best facts about Carisbrooke Castle is that it has become a very popular tourist destination after the English Heritage turned some of the old staff chambers into holiday flats in 2007. It now receives about 100,000 visitors every year.

some of the things that the tourist enjoy at the Carisbrooke Castle is the over 800 years of history, experiencing the tranquillity of the castles, seeing history brought to life with fun and dramatic film, and the accredited local history museum.

6. Exhibition and Castle Museum

Exhibition and Castle Museum is one of the best facts about Carisbrooke Castle. You can visit the Carisbrooke Castle Museum which is managed by the Carisbrooke Museum Trust. It is full of Charles I memorabilia and also it hosts regular exhibitions. often tumultuous history through a film and virtual tour.

You can also explore the presentations in the 16th-century guardhouse and discover Carisbrooke Castle’s long and often tumultuous history through a film and virtual tour. The museum is housed in the castle’s Great Hall, St Peter’s Chapel, and Constables’ lodging.

7. St Nicholas Chapel, King Charles’ I Memorial

Interior of the chapel of Carisbrooke Castle, By Dave Pape

The chapel is located next to the main gate of the castle. The chapel was reconstructed and reopened in 1904. It was rebuilt as a national memorial of King Charles I. The chapel is home to the Isle of Wight County War Memorial. It was designed by architect Percy Stone.

Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, commissioned the altar painting, after the death of her youngest son, Maurice. The visitors now experience the beauty and tranquillity of the chapel.

8. It is the only remaining medieval castle

Gatehouse entrance to Carisbrooke Castle, by Gordon Spicer,

Carisbrooke Castle the Isle of Wight’s only remaining medieval castle. It was built on a Roman site. Countess Isabella de Forti bus was one of the greatest heiresses in the 13th Century, her life illustrated how the power and riches that could lie in the hands of women of noble birth in medieval England.

The castle was her main home and she shaped the castle interior into its present form. She upgraded the castle’s apartment and added the chapel of St Peters. The castle’s original stone gatehouse with its drum towers was built from the 14th to 15th centuries and is still in existence.

 King Charles 1 was imprisoned at Carisbrooke after his armies were defeated by parliament in the civil war. He was imprisoned for about 14 months. On  November 11, 1647, Charles 1 fled to the Isle of Wright, because he believed that the parliamentary Governor of the Isle of Wright  Colonel Robert Hammond would support his cause but he instead locked him in the castle.

Charles, I was later sentenced to death and executed just 10 days after his trial. His daughter Princess Elizabeth also dies while she is in the castles. The chapel inside the castle was rebuilt and consecrated in 1904 and now serves as a memorial to Charles I.

10. It was inhabited by the Romans

It said that the area was inhabited before the roman times thus making it easier for the Romans to settle down on the Isle of Wright in the first place. From the ruins of a wall that was discovered near the location the castle was built, a Roman Villa was discovered. It was during the Victorian Era.