Martin Odell - Berkeley Castle

Martin has been a guiding for visitors to Berkeley Castle for 15 years or so, and he is an accomplished Tour Guide with many stories to tell about the Castle and it’s history.

The first castle at Berkeley was built in around 1067 by William FitzOsbern shortly after the Conquest, with a motte-and-bailey castle and was later rebuilt in stone.

This was subsequently held by three generations, all called Roger de Berkeley, and Henry II granted permission to construct a castle of stone. However, the de Berkely family was dispossessed for withholding their allegiance from the House of Plantagents, and Berkely was granted to a healthy burgess of Bristol – Robert Fitzharding. In 1153 King Henry II gave permission for a new castle in 1153-54 to be constructed in stone to persuade the Welsh to keep on their own side of the (Severn) river.

In 1326 the castle was ransacked by the forces of Hugh Despenser a “favourite” of King Edward II, and after some “goings on” at this time, King Edward was brought to Berkeley Castle where he was locked up and kept for five months. King Edward II might have been killed there by the use of a some Cow Horn and a red hot picker, or he might have escaped to somewhere else in England, or France.

Anyway, Edward II is said to have died on 21^st September 1327, and his body may have been taken to Gloucester Abbey to be interned, (or maybe he was not, or it wasn’t).  Any way, by this time, a Thomas de Berkeley  was in charge of Berkeley Castle, and this family have lived in the castle until this time – a very long time!

In the mean time, there has been some religious problems that needed to be sorted out and the England Civil War, but apart from a big hole in the wall of the Castle wall, the new plumbing, new electrical work, the roof and some other stuff,  the castle is much as it has always been in  1326.

Berkeley Castle It is a beautiful place and there is so much to see and see.  Thanks to Martin for giving such a interesting talk to the Club.

Maybe the Club could visit  Berkeley Castle on Wednesday afternoon and hear Martin “On Tour”, then later pop into the Berkeley Arms?

Andy Wilson