The castle is almost as synonymous with the middle ages as the knight, and equally misunderstood. Often thought of as cold, damp and bleak buildings, the reality was that they were the opulent homes of the medieval super-rich, designed as much for comfort as for protection, and serving as stages on which the chivalric class could display their power and status. 

In this course, we will consider different ways of looking at the castle, not just as a piece of military architecture, but as a home, a centre of power and a stage for social and cultural display. We will also look ‘beyond the castle gate’ at the wider landscape around castles, and at the way in which the castle and landscape are used in medieval literature and art. 

Related study trip

The study trip for this course takes in four very different castles on the Welsh border: Goodrich, Kilpeck, Longtown and Raglan. 

ASE reserves the right to change the content of course-specific study trips where necessary.