Castles: Britain’s Fortified History, BBC4 - TV review: Distinguished only by lovely aerial shots
Another documentary inspired by Game of Thrones' success
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Way back when, before the police force existed, if you wanted to protect your riches from marauding hordes, you’d have to build a castle. Dr Sam Willis’s Castles: Britain’s Fortified History (BBC4) is one of several Game of Thrones-inspired documentaries about medieval history currently on television, distinguished only by some lovely aerial shots of the country’s most impressive ruins.
Proud nationalists of Cymru might want to avert their eyes, however; the second part of this three-part series mainly concerned King Edward I’s use of castles as “gigantic fortresses to subjugate the Welsh”. First, Edward crushed Llywelyn ap Gruffudd – who was no pushover – then he appropriated the title “Prince of Wales” and bestowed it on his first-born son, establishing a royal tradition that has lasted to the present day.
Glimpses of characters like Llywelyn and Isabella de Fortibus, the unofficial “Queen of the Isle of Wight”, helped liven up a programme that also included extended tuition in medieval stonemasonry – particularly dull, since we’d already seen something very similar on BBC2’s Secrets of the Castle.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments