Saturday Snapshot

Published on by Margaret

Not very far from where we live stands Twizel Castle, high up on the hillside above the River Till. You can see it from the road glimpsed through the trees. I imagined what it was like to have lived there and wondered who had built it. It’s now in ruins, was it one of the castles that had been attacked centuries ago by the Scots, from just over the border?

Twizel Castle

One day instead of just looking as we passed it we stopped and walked up to see it properly. It’s up a steep footpath:

Footpath up to Twizel Castle

and this is what we found:

Twizel Castle

and inside, dereliction:

Twizel Castle inside

It’s amazing it’s still standing:

Twizel Castle

This castle is not what it seems. It was never lived in as it’s an 18th century castle that was never completed. It stands on the site of a medieval tower house, that was, indeed, destroyed by the Scots in 1496. It’s a Grade 2 Listed Building and is on English Heritage’s At Risk Register. For more information see Images of England and Gatehouse Gazetteer.

See more Saturday Snapshots on Alyce’s blog At Home With Books.

25 thoughts on “Saturday Snapshot”

  2. I believe there would be a novel hidden in that story, don’t you? A castle never lived in – on the site of another house – ghosts, you think?

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  8. What a wonderful castle! Doesn’t matter that it’s not of great antiquity, it’s beautiful! Somebody had grand ambitions but something happened.

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  10. It’s sad that these wonderful old places are so neglected. I hope somebody does something about that. Thanks for taking us on your walk.

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  11. That’s why I often miss Germany. There were so many places we could go for beautiful walks around Bamberg and Landstuhl. Couldn’t help banging into ruins, castles, etc., with the kids climbing all around. We live by the Appalachian Trail- no castles.

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  13. In your country, you have endless photo opportunities that captivate the imagination. I am especially fond of castles and this one, in ruin, reminds me of the one my eldest son lived in (outside of Prague) a few years ago. That one was a 16th C. castle, though, and they were renovating it.

    Thanks for sharing! Love the footpath, too.

    Great bookish blog header!

    Here’s MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT

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  17. What a rich history to have right in your back yard, so to speak! It’s a shame to lose these old sites. They can never be rebuilt in their historically proper manner … I hope your Twizel site is restored before it’s too late!

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  19. I think if I lived near there I’d have a hard time staying away, and I’m sure I would have spent hours as a young girl daydreaming about being a princess there (even if I had known the true historical background). :)

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  21. I’m on the train back from a reading and had to leave a comment just to say those are wonderful pics and there is definitely a story in them. Will you write it?

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  25. This castle would have been such a beautiful place to live if it had been finished. I too think it’s a perfect setting for a novel.

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