Secrets of Great British Castles: Series 1

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History Documentary hosted by Dan Jones, published by Channel 5 in 2015 - English narration

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Secrets of Great British Castles: Series 1 Historian Dan Jones explores the turbulent history behind six of Britain’s most famous castles: Dover, the Tower of London, Warwick, Caernarfon and Stirling. Behind the walls of these celebrated strongholds are stories of intrigue, drama, romance, rebellion, and murder. Dan Jones recounts some of the many classic tales from 1000 years of British history, featuring a stellar cast of kings, queens, rogues, rebels, victims and villains.

[edit] Dover Castle

Dan begins by heading to the south-east of England to visit Dover Castle. He reveals that Henry II ordered its construction not only as a statement of royal power, but also out of guilt for the murder of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170. Dan discovers how a vast network of tunnels was used to defend the castle, including underground barracks built during the Napoleonic Wars and a nuclear bunker created during the Cold War.

[edit] Tower of London

Dan Jones explores the turbulent history of the Tower of London, which is one of Britain's most famous buildings and has been a military fortress, a palace, a royal mint, a prison, a zoo and a place of execution. He reveals how one king's obsession with money led to the Tower becoming the focus of the worst Jewish massacre the country had ever seen and explains how a mob of disgruntled peasants managed to break through its defences as they sought bloody revenge for taxes they could no longer put up with

[edit] Warwick

Dan explores the history of Warwick Castle, which started as a motte and bailey fort established by William the Conqueror in 1068 and was transformed into a stone fortress two centuries later by the Beauchamp family. He examines the role Guy Beauchamp played in the kidnapping and murder of one of Edward II's closest allies and descends into the castle's claustrophobic dungeon.

[edit] Caernarfon Castle

Dan heads to Gwynedd to explore the history of Caernarfon Castle, the building of which began in 1283 on the orders of Edward I. He demonstrates how the castle's vast stone walls and strategically designed towers repelled all enemies, even the Welsh national hero Owain Glyndwr, earning itself a truly forbidding reputation, but its military importance faded at the end of the 15th century when Henry Tudor - a Welshman - made his way on to the English throne.

[edit] Stirling Castle

Perched high on a volcanic crag overlooking the River Forth, Stirling has long been one of the most strategically important castles in Britain. Guarding the gateway to the Highlands, its battle-scarred walls have witnessed savagery and chivalry, intrigue, alchemy, adultery and murder. With the aid of location filming, aerial shots and dramatic reconstructions, Dan Jones examines the history of this stronghold and relates the stories of some of the powerful characters who have owned it over the centuries.