Walking into a Fairytale

Most of the castles we've visited have laced a still functioning moat. Some had no moat, others have a big ditch that may or may not have once been wet but are not dry. We now make a visit to a real moated castle that looks just like it came from a fairytale. This is Bodiam Castle.

While there are many castles in Europe that are in much better condition and much fancier, this is by far the best preserved castle we've seen in England. Wikipedia tells us...

Bodiam Castle (/ˈboʊdiəm/) is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War. Of quadrangular plan, Bodiam Castle has no keep, having its various chambers built around the outer defensive walls and inner courts. Its corners and entrance are marked by towers, and topped by crenellations. Its structure, details and situation in an artificial watery landscape indicate that display was an important aspect of the castle's design as well as defence. It was the home of the Dalyngrigge family and the centre of the manor of Bodiam.

Located near the river Rother, this scenic moat was dug and supplied by several springs (these, of course, made digging it difficult). It is filled with ducks and surrounded by farmland today. Other water features were originally built but no longer exist. It really seems that this place was built to be a showplace rather than a defensive position. However, this castle had 28 toilets all emptied directly into the moat. So in the 14th century, this was just a large open sewer.

The approach to the castle requires us to walk about ¾ of the way around it. First we come to the backside with the postern gate. It was connected to the mainland by a timber bridge and a drawbridge.

Clearly, the water now is much cleaner than it was in the distant past, for there are now water lilies blooming along with the waterfowl residents.

On the calm summer day of our visit, we get near perfect reflections in the moat. It really does look like something out of a children's story.