posted 05-18-2000 07:23 PM           

Even if you did mean medieval castles that are being lived in the answer is still not clear since castles get altered over the ages and some modern looking houses may have foundations which belonged to a medieval castle. Would this count as a castle? Even if it did such houses occasional turn up which had previously not been known to be a castle site so others may exist. Of course I'm only really talking about the situation in England and castles exist all over the world, including some places which are still wild and remote.
I very much doubt that anyone knows all of the castles still in use.

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And as I rode by Dalton-Hall Beneath the turrets high, A maiden on the castle-wall Was singing merrily: The Outlaw by Sir Walter Scott
http://www.castlesontheweb.com/members/philipdavis/index.html

posted 05-19-2000 02:21 AM            

I for one (whilst happy to continue living in our castle) have no intention of arming the household and utilizing the castle’s defensive characteristics against invaders. Mind you, it would take a pretty determined burglar to break in!

The castle is, however, used for a great deal of entertaining (both formal and informal) and this would have been one of its primary functions. We are also entitled to hold court for the settlement of minor disputes (we’re not likely to do that either) along with various other trivial archaic legal bits and bobs (mostly to do with ‘feu superior’ land holdings) that nobody has bothered to repeal.