DISCOVER
Still hungry for rambling relics that stir the soul? Then chow down on these extraordinary echoes of worlds gone by…
HADLEIGH CASTLE, Essex
Crowning a whaleback ridge and rising high above the northern edge of the Thames Estuary, the ruins of Hadleigh Castle are much loved by the folk of south Essex and a popular day out from nearby Leigh-on-Sea and Southend.
The castle was built in the 1230s by Hubert de Burgh, the trusted military strong-arm of King John – although the two later quarrelled and John confiscated the castle and its lands for himself. It remained in royal hands for several centuries, being much loved by Edward III, and forming part of the dowry given to three of Henry VIII’s wives – Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves and Catherine Parr.
Later it fell into the hands of the comically named Lord Richard Rich, who ended up dismantling it to make a bit of cash off its valuable stonework, leaving us with the snaggle-toothed ruin we see today. Of its former five towers, only the two easternmost remain standing; one of them is sometimes hailed as the Leaning Tower of Essex due to the effects of landslips and subsidence.
John Constable consolidated the castle’s romantic reputation by sketching it in 1814, and in 1891 the land around the castle was bought by Salvation Army founder William Booth. He turned it into a farm for the training of unskilled labourers so that they could get started in agriculture and export their new farming skills to British colonies. The farm still exists to this day as a visitor attraction. Part of the land was sculpted into the mountain biking course for the 2012 London Olympics. The course is still there, so if you choose a quiet day and watch out for bikes, you can wander the trails and find the Olympic rings and mascots etched into the jumps, drops and ramps.
Today the castle ruins are in the care of English Heritage and are free to enter. Take a stroll and soak up those extraordinary views across the estuary and along the coastline to Leigh and Southend. If it was good enough for Anne of Cleves, it’s fine by us.
WALK HERE: From car park on Two Tree Island, it’s easy to make a circular walk via Leigh-on-Sea station, climbing to the castle, descending via Hadleigh Country Park and back along the sea wall, part of the King Charles III England Coast Path.
DUNLUCE CASTLE, Counntry Antrim
Perched precariously on a narrow headland jutting into the sea between Portrush and Ballintrae, Dunluce was the headquarters of Clan MacDonnell
