Think Robin Hood, think King Arthur, think knights in shining armour. Bodiam Castle has it all. If, like us, you have never seen a castle before, this is a spectacular introduction to Medieval England.
Bodiam Castle is a moated castle built in 1385. The castle may not be intact, but you can spend quite a few hours here exploring the many towers, climbing the spiral staircases to the top, and enjoying the breathtaking views of the spring fed moat and surrounding countryside.
The original wooden porticullis,( a latticed grill that closes vertically ), is still intact and guards the entrance to the Gatehouse. You can stand at the narrow stone windows and imagine arrows being fired at the enemy, and wander the many cobblestoned passages where knights once walked. This is a place were you can let your imagination run wild.
When you first enter the castle, you notice that you are in a small room with a hole in the ceiling , called a murder hole. There is the main door behind you and another large door in front of you. Apparently when invaders came through the first door, or gate, the doors would close, trapping them, and boiling tar, oil and arrows would rain down on them. Pretty grisly and gory in medieval times.
If you have mobility problems, you may find the castle a bit hard to navigate as there is lots of narrow, spiral staircases to climb and uneven cobblestone floors. This is the reason why we decided to travel now, while we are still able to enjoy exploring magnificent places, like Bodiam Castle.
Bodiam Castle is part of the National Trust, so as we had joined when we arrived for our 6 week holiday, entry was free instead of AU$30. Parking is AU$6 though, which is not covered by your National Trust Pass.
RED DIRT 2 COBBLESTONES 
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