KINGOFTHECASTLE
ResidencessuchasBuckinghamand
Kensingtonpalacesareobviousplacesto
unearthroyalintrigue.Castles,builtfor
defenceratherthandomesticity,arerich
sources,too.AndNorthWalesisfullof
them– evidenceofEdwardI’s
determinationtosubduetheWelsh.Butmy
favouriteiswaydowninthesouth-western
cornerofWales.AtPembrokeCastle,
birthplaceofHenryVII(whosestatueis
pictured),youcandoa surprisingamount
ofunsupervisedexploring– upwinding
staircases,outontorampartsandupthe
five-storeykeep.Lookingdownyoucan
seewhata rabbitwarrenthecastlemust
havebeen– rooms,staircasesandtowers
sproutallovertheplace.Nottingham
Castle(sadlycloseduntillaterthisyear),
goesonebetter:it hasa labyrinthofcaves
beneathit,inwhichyou’llfindtheoldest
pubinEngland,YeOldeTriptoJerusalem.“You can do a surprising
amount of unsupervised
exploring – up winding
staircases, out onto ramparts”
»PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY
OUTING