A Walk Around Rochester Castle

A view of Rochester Castle from The Esplanade

Rochester Castle is set on a spur of the Lewes Nodular Chalk Formation - with commanding views of the River Medway and its surrounding landscape - and occupies the south-west corner of the old town enclosed by the Roman city wall, parts of which are seen in the west curtain wall.

The geology beneath Rochester Castle

It served as a strategically important royal castle and was besieged in 1088, 1215 and 1264, but eventually became out of favour as a royal residence, with a marked decline in its fortunes during the 14th century, and by the 15th century it was starting to fall into disrepair.

The English Heritage plan of Rochester Castle

In the reign of Elizabeth I, stone from the curtain walls was used to build Upnor Castle and it was no longer a serviceable fortification by the time of the English Civil War, after which it escaped slighting but served as a source of building stone in the 17th century.

A view of Rochester Castle from the Esplanade

From the Esplanade, a large expanse of Kentish Ragstone rubble walling can be seen, which includes revetments of 1872 and 1931, and it is this stone – quarried in nearby Aylesford and Maidstone – that has been used for the walling throughout the castle.

A view of the Drum Tower and Rochester Cathedral

Walking up from the Esplanade along Baker's Walk, the round Drum Tower marks the point where the curtain wall was breached by undermining during King John's siege of the castle in 1215 – after the battering by five siege engines had failed – and which was restored by Henry III along with other building work from 1217 to 1237.

The siege of 2015

The eastern section of the curtain walls contains two towers that were built during the reign of Edward III in the 1360's – the nearest tower to the keep replacing one from the 12/13th century – and at the lower levels the change from squared Kentish Ragstone blocks to irregular rubble walling is very noticeable.

A view of 14th century towers on the east curtain wall

Entering the castle grounds, where the north-eastern gatehouse was previously located, the inner face of the western curtain wall displays the remains of the private chambers of Henry III, with its understorey, sockets for the floor joists and blocked windows being clearly visible.

The west curtain wall

In the walls beyond, although the battlements were added in the 18th century and arches provided for a terrace in the early 20th century, remains of the original herringbone masonry in the walls built by Bishop Gundulf in 1089 can still be seen.

A detail of the west curtain wall