Ruined castles
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hardluck:
Hello All
There is nothing more awesome than exploring old fortresses and ancient castles and walking among them takes to back to time beyond your imagination. I does'nt matter the country for me as I am a self confessed castle junkie no matter where they.
Castle and fortress were a product of fear of a foreign invasion or from the very people they ruled. They are silent reminders of a past long forgotten.
I hope you enjoy them as I do.
The first one I will show here is Carnarvon Castle. THe Castle is a little dissapointing behind its mighty walls as it has been stripped bare. The Castle is not a Welsh Castle it was built by the English under orders of Edward the first as part of ring of castles to trap the Welsh in the mountains.
Edward the first ordered the construction of many castles to contain the welsh. Harlech, Flint, Beaumaris, Conwy, Ruddlan is just to name a few.
Carnarvon is the show pony of Welsh castles however. In all my travels and I have been to many places, there is one guard robe I would not enter for all the money in the world.
I have never seen a ghost ever but what I encountered in the small dark room was a presence or atmosphere like having your personal space invaded. Like being in a pitch black room some one standing an inch away from your face and very hostile to your presence there.
I have a Photograph some where of that room.
Hardluck
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Homefire:
Back in the 60's, my father was stationed a Incirlik Air Base.
We would take day trips to three old spots.
Back then a Guided tour was a Turkish Bus Driver Took you to the Castles and Opened the door say HAVE FUN! Bus Leaves in 3 hours![crazy]
As a five year old kid, I almost fell of the edge of a couple hundred foot drop off.
It was so cool.
I think this could have been the start of my Treasure Hunt.
Two were Castel by the Sea and the Sister Castel Snake Castel.
I have two Copper coins Some one in our group found along the Wall.
I can not find anything about them.
Black Castel was another cool spot.
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hardluck:
Hello Homefire
Thank you for the interesting comments. Those castles look pretty amazing too. I supose they were crusader castles.
Do you still have the coins?
Hardluck :o
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Idaho Jones:
Excellent subject :)
I've never had an opportunity to explore one first hand but many an hour was spent viewing photos of various castels. Thier defenses and technology. Imagine being beseiged for months at a time or longer!
I love them all but I must confess a fondness for Welsh castels. Many German castels are perched in amazing locations like some storybook fantasy. I can scarce imagine the brave masons who built them there.
For years I had designs to build a castel of my own, but I doubt now that I ever will. Amazing places filled with a thousand years of history in some cases. For an american such a lineage is hard to grasp.
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hardluck:
Hello All
The linage of castles build is a very ancient one. From Iron age hill fort of wood palisade type structures to medieval castles, 19th century and 20 century artillery fortress installations. The military aspect has changed somewhat with technology.
The culture to build castle even when there is little need for them. early 19th century country homes were built like castles. this culture exported its self all over the world. Even today I can find houses in Australia South Africa, New Zealand, United states built in the neo Gothic castle style.
There are fortress gun installation today built in WW2 owe their basic concept to ideas dating back many thousands of years.
This is a universal concept that can be found in many countries.
Here is two examples of 19th century Australian Fortification. Fort Dennison built during the Crimean war when British colonies feared a Russian invasion. Bare Island fort at La Peruse was another both were later modernized later during WW1 and later in WW2 with modern artillery and anti aircraft guns.
The natural evolution of the fortification became system of gun emplacements and connected underground ammunition rooms and bunkers.
hardluck
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Homefire:
Yes, I have the coins. There barely legible.
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Idaho Jones:
That would be a treasured find for me too Homefire. What a great experience for a kid. If the US had castles to explore you can bet they would be full of safety rails and rules. We must be saved from ourselves ya know...
Neat pics Hardluck. You know so many out of the way places!
I often try to imagine what it was like to place those first stones at the waters edge, and sometimes below the water. Nowadays it wouldn't be bad using machinery but back in the day what a project it must have been.
I know it's not a ruined castle but check out Castle Magic. You are not allowed to view links.
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I've been watching these guys for years, they have made a business building modern day castles in the US. One is in northern Idaho. Thier website features a castle in construction. Granted some of the methods and effects are more modern but it's still neat to watch it progress. Only problem is one needs to furnish thier own ghosts. Check back in 500 to 1000 years I suppose :)
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hardluck:
Hello Idaho Jones
Thank you for the link. As you can see I am burning the midnight oil again [coffee]
I may even require their services if I ever hit the big one! ;D
Their castles are a classic example of the revival style.
The United States has its fair share of fortresses. In the eastern state Forts build during the wars of Independence and civil war. And in the Midwest the forts of Indian wars. All owe their origins back to Iron age hill forts.
Hardluck
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Idaho Jones:
Treasure stories are definitely an addiction Hardluck :) there is always one more story.
I have seen some interesting fortifications here, but they don't pack the same feel as a true medieval castle to me. Perhaps some of the older Spanish forts are close.
Most of the "castles" in America were homes built to look like a castle by wealthy businessmen, as opposed to truly being a place built to fight off invaders and greedy neighbors. Those are the castles that spark my imagination. I often wonder how many millions of footsteps it takes to wear depressions in stone stair treads and what it was like to fight in those narrow halls as invader or defender?
I really like the imagination the Castle Magic people show in adding features like the dungeon tunnel to the lakeshore. A castle with no secret caves or passages just isn't right :)
I find it fascinating that there are so many locations in the world with castles/forts that remain unexcavated ruins. It seems I'm always hearing of some farmer with a fallen castle in his field chasing sheep into a labyrinth of caves or something. If I had that history in my back yard I'd be all over it. :)
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