Donnington Castle

Donnington Castle near Newbury in Berkshire stands as a striking testament to 14th-century military architecture. Built in 1386 by Sir Richard Abberbury, a veteran of the Hundred Years War who fought at Crécy and Poitiers, the castle controlled an important road junction and river crossing. Its imposing twin-towered gatehouse survives within impressive earthworks, while other structures were destroyed during the English Civil War when the strategic hilltop position overlooking major routes made it a heavily contested site. Kings Henry VIII and Elizabeth I are thought to have stayed here during the palace's heyday. Now in the care of English Heritage, Donnington offers visitors a dramatic example of late medieval fortification and a window into the castle's pivotal role in English history.