| Forum: | Castles In General & Medieval History |
| Topic: | How many castles are ther in the world? |
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------------------medievalenchantress Can anyone answer it? I know a lot about castles, but I need the answer because I'm giving a speech. Thanks AJR I doubt whether anyone will be able to give you an answer. When I started showing interest in castles, I thought there were only a couple of hundred in Britain. Now, over 30 years later, I am still learning about sites which I never knew existed. Anything between 2,500 and 5,000 in Britain alone, depending on what you class as a castle. As for other countries - well I haven't a clue, but I suspect you can easily add a couple of noughts to the figures above.
AJRPeter As AJR rightly says ... who knows ?
If we take Europe and all its countries, and assume they have the same density as the U.K.
the mind begins to boggle.
I don't even begin to add the states of old Russia, Turkey etc.
No one can ever know, because many castles never had documentation. Many were turned into a more livable place. So only indepth excavations would ever bring to light what lay at the core.
It is perhaps better to use this angle with your speech. An unknown quantity leaves everyone to use their own imagination, and blink at what the come up with !Fox Atreides This is discussed before, it depends on what you call a castle, thats my idea. Gordon The discussion to which Fox refers is at http://www.castlesontheweb.com/quest/Forum12/HTML/000134.html
The point that numbers depends very much on definition is perhaps the most valid which could be made. It is virtually impossible to determine the number of castles which exist, or existed, as AJR states, new sites keep cropping up. I spent thirty years researching the sites in my own area, discovered 300, listed them and within 3 months had found evidence to support the existence of another 40. This is only for west central Scotland, expand this to a worldwide scene, and you'll have an idea of the problem.
'Demeure par la verite'
Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page Ann-Marie Lews Castle on the Isle of Lewis is known as a castle, but from what I have managed to find out it was built as a mansion.
Yet it is called a castle and hold historical value, although as yet I have not found out as much information as I would like.
Has anybody got any information on this Castle?Gordon The Victorians often named their mansions or large houses castles, this part of the romantic revival of interest in all things Scottish stimulated by the novels of Sir Walter Scott, and the specific Royal interest generated by Prince Albert's purchase of the Balmoral estate. Owning a 'castle' was also a bit of a status symbol, but given that not many castles actually met the comfort and domicillary needs of the Victorians, they built big houses which did, and called them castles..but they weren't. There are also many castles which developed into mansions, but still hold parts of the original fortified structure, and so qualify for entry into castle lists. Lews was not one of these.
There is nearby a 'Gallowshill'... Cnoc na Croich, traditionally the execution place for criminals, though this is not connected in any way to the house being much more ancient, and a woodland park which is open to the public. The house itself is not open to the public.
Go to http://www.w-isles.gov.uk/castle.htm
That's about as thorough a history you'll get for a house that's not even 200 years old. Your enquiry should have been posted to 'Mansions and Manor Houses'.
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