The Great Wall was built across more than 4,000 miles of the northern frontier for the defense of China from the Mongols. This photo is of a 400 foot long model of the Great Wall built by the Communist Chinese government in a “theme park” called Splendid China in Florida just south of Orlando (now closed). The model Great Wall towered up to ten feet above the 20 – 40 ft “model” mountains. I made this photograph on Fujifilm with my Minolta X570 SLR camera <>—-—-<>—-—-<>—-—-<>—-—-<>—-—-<>—-—-<>—-—-<> / The Great Wall of China was featured at Castle Magic
Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness. Invernesshire, Scottish Highlands
Loire Valley, France.
for a history of Malahide Castle see here / / / / / ©MCN:CWKMG-9A9PY-S95FB
Watercolour painting of the castle using oil paint technique on watercolour paper. My first watercolour, 21×15 cm
Featured in Castle Magic November 2009
The lovely sleepy village of Bamburgh, Northumberland.
Tantallon Castle and Bass Rock late afternoon as the sun was starting to go down.
Copyright © Gilberte 2009 My images do not belong to the public domain. Reproduction without my written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. Impressive lowland fortress constructed by the Beaufort (XIIIth century). Afterwards the domain belongs to the Wesemael, the Borsele, the Polheim, Maximilian of Austria, Baudouin illegitimate of Burgundy and his descendants… In 1468, last meeting, in Fallais, between the prince-bishop of Liège, Louis of Bourbon, Charles The Bold and king Louis XI before the Ransack of Liège. In 1678, Louis XIV bombards the northern and eastern wings. Restoration, in 1882, done by the architect Van Asche.
Lindesfarne Castle when the tide is out and the boats are high and dry. Lindesfarne is on the Holy Island on the northumbrian coast and can only be accessed at low tide.
This is the mainland courtyard at Tintagel in Cornwall, England. / The castle was built in two parts…....the shot is taken from the ‘Island’ part. The island is connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway which is constantly eroding.A wooden bridge (modern) now spans the eroding chasm linking it to the mainland.Its original name was ’ Din Tagell ’ which means fortress of the narrow entrance. / The mainland and Island courtyards are of medieval construction built by Earl Richard of Cornwall after he acquired the land in 1233. / The island section was once a dark age settlement with foundations of early stone buildings, the approach to which was protected by an earth and stone bank and ditch defence.It is this dark age period which links Tintagel with the legend of King Arthur…..Arthur is now thought to be a dark age warlord after the Romans left Britain around 406 to 410 AD. / Previous to this, there is evidence of a 3rd to 4th century hamlet on the island section. Very little is known about this period at Tintagel but it is thought to be a fortress of the Cornovii tribe that inhabited the area during the Roman period. / The castle is now in the safe keeping of English Heritage. / This has got to be a ‘must see’ site for anyone visiting Cornwall. There are a lot of steep climbs but the views are spectacular, not only of the history, but also of the Cornish coastline. / 172 views
The Tower of London / MCN: C87DF-33EQF-YX6E9 Texture overlay courtesy of SkeletalMess Featured in Castle Magic November 2009 Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower), is a historic fortress and scheduled monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames. It is located within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and is separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It is the oldest building used by the British government. The Tower of London is often identified with the White Tower, the original stark square fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078. However, the tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and moat. The tower’s primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). This last use has led to the phrase “sent to the Tower” (meaning “imprisoned”). It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Today the Tower of London is cared for by an independent charity, Historic Royal Palaces, which receives no funding from the Government or the Crown Text Courtesy of Wikipedia
The Albornoz fortress stands on an area that was once occupied by a temple, known to archaeologists as the Augurale, in Etruscan times. Originally known as the Rocca di San Martino, construction on this massive fortress started either in 1359 or 1353, by order of the Papal legate Cardinal Egidio Albornoz, near the town’s cemetery, over an area that had been occupied by a number of important buildings. The idea was to make the city a secure hold for the Church, thereby enabling the Cardinal and his captains to consolidate their recent military victories.
This stunning castle can be found on the southern shores of the Firth of Forth, just outside Edinburgh Scotland. It dates back to the 15th century and belonged to one of th most powerful familes, The Crichtons.
This beautiful castle can be found on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Dunvegan is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod for 800 years. Taken with Canon 350d and sigma 24-70 lens
Moreton Corbett Castle, now lies in Ruins, yet still manages to fire up the imagination. Now in the care of English Heritage this site is free to all visitors.
GHENT: The Gravensteen (Castle of the counts) The GRAVENSTEEN is the Dutch name for the ‘castle of the count’. The counts of Flanders had castles built in the principal cities of the county. Because they had to maintain law and order, they continuously had to move from one city to the other. Therefore, they disposed of a castle in most cities where they wanted to stay for a few months. The castle of Ghent is the only one which survived the centuries more or less intact. Archeological excavations have proved that three fortified castles constructed in wood must have stood on the site of today’s Gravensteen. Already around the year 1000 the first stone castle must have been erected here. Parts of this, such as the chimney and the fireplace, can still be found in the walls of the lower floors of the main tower. The Gravensteen, like we know it today, has been constructed by Fillips of Alsasse who was count of Flanders between 1157 and 1191. He took part in one of the crusades and died during the siege of Akko in the Holy Land. The opening in the form of a cross, right above the main entrance gate, proves that he already had taken part in a crusade when the Castle was built around 1177-1178.The Gravensteen functioned as the center of the Count’s power during the early Middle-Ages. This is somewhat symbolized by the main keep or ‘donjon’ (tower) from where one can have a panoramic view over the city. Next to the castle lies the Veerleplein (Veerle square), the place where public executions took place. The Gravensteen has been used in later times for different purposes. After the counts moved to more comfortable mansions in the later centuries, it was used as the Mint and later as the main prison of Gent. In the nineteenth century a cotton plant was installed here. In the inner court little houses where built for the textile workers of the plant. Today, the Gravensteen has been beautifully restored. It is still partially surrounded by the medieval moat. It can be visited all through the year. Inside of the rooms is a museum about the history of prison life and organization, with a very instructive (?) collection of medieval torture instruments. /
The beautiful Eilean Donan Castle. /
The causeway to St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall becomes accessible at low tide. The mount wasn’t always an island…...the area was a forest before the melt water from the last ice age, 10 000 years ago, flooded the low lying areas around it. / In Cornish legend, the island was built by the giant Cormoran from granite blocks. / It became known as St. Michael’s Mount after the archangel appeared there before a group of fishermen in 495 AD. / Originally a 12th century Benedictine priory, it became a castle and a church still in use today. / It is now in the safe keeping of the National Trust.
Taken at sunrise over Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland. /
This beautiful castle ruin stands on a high on a cliff on the Northubrian coast and dates back to the 14th century. Taken with canon 50d and sigma 24-70 lens
Dunstanburgh Castle is perched high on a cliff overlooking the north sea in Northumberland and dates back to the 14th century.
Found in the beautiful little village of Dirleton, two miles north of North Berwick, on the east coast of Scotland. This castle dates back to the 13th century and owership passed between the Scots and English during the wars of independence during the 1200 and 1300. /
Another shot of what is probably them most photographed Castle! A stunning venue for a wedding! This castle can be found on the road to Sky, on the north west coast of Scotland. /
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