Bodiam Castle

 

Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II, mainly with wealth plundered from his adventures in France, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War.

The French did invade the south east but failed to reach Bodiam.

 

Dalyngrigge was never an important figure in national politics but in 1385, likely in recognition of his military service, King Richard II gave him license to ‘crenellate’ -a license which allowed the creation of battlements.

well well well :)

Bodiam is often portrayed as ‘the perfect English castle’ – a jostling crowd of tall, grey stone towers protected by square battlements, secured with a round drum tower at each corner, and surrounded by a carp filled reflective moat fed by natural springs.

Invaders had many obstacles to contend with, as the tortuous wooden walkway, which wound through the moat parallel with the battlements, would have made them very vulnerable to arrow-fire from the castle. Even if the invaders made it to the Barbican, the next problem would have been entering the gatehouse filled with numerous intruder-traps, including murder holes in the roof through which lethal objects and boiling oil rained down.