In 1642 the English Civil War broke out, initially between supporters of Parliament and the Royalist supporters of Charles I. The war expanded to include Ireland and Scotland, and dragged on into three separate conflicts in England itself. The war was the first prolonged conflict in Britain to involve the use of artillery and gunpowder.Harrington (2003), p. 4. English castles were used for various purposes during the conflict. York Castle formed a key part of the city defences, with a military governor; rural castles such as Goodrich could be used a bases for raiding and for control of the surrounding countryside; larger castles, such as Windsor, became used for holding prisoners of war or as military headquarters.Timbs and Gunn, p. 170; Musty, p. 4.; Rowse, p. 84. During the war castles were frequently brought back into fresh use: existing defences would be renovated, while walls would be "countermured", or backed by earth, in order to protect from cannons.Bull, p. 86. Towers and keeps were filled with earth to make gun platforms, such as at Carlisle and Oxford Castle.Bull, p. 86; Oxford Archaeology , accessed 12 September 2010. New earth bastions could be added to existing designs, such as at Cambridge and Carew Castle and at the otherwise unfortified Basing House the surrounding Norman ringwork was brought back into commission.Bull, p. 86; Lowry, p. 24; Creighton and Higham, p. 62. The costs could be considerable, with the work at Skipton Castle coming to over £1000.Bull, p. 95.
In 1642 the English Civil War broke out, initially between supporters of Parliament and the Royalist supporters of Charles I. The war expanded to include Ireland and Scotland, and dragged on into three separate conflicts in England itself. The war was the first prolonged conflict in Britain to involve the use of artillery and gunpowder.Harrington (2003), p. 4. English castles were used for various purposes during the conflict. York Castle formed a key part of the city defences, with a military governor; rural castles such as Goodrich could be us?ed a bases for raiding and for control of the surrounding countryside; larger castles, such as Windsor, became used for holding prisoners of war or as military headquarters.Timbs and Gunn, p. 170; Musty, p. 4.; Rowse, p. 84. During the war castles were frequently brought back into fresh use: existing defences would be renovated, while walls would be "countermured", or backed by earth, in order to protect from cannons.Bull, p. 86. Towers and keeps were filled with earth to make gun platforms, such as at Carlisle and Oxford Castle.Bull, p. 86; Oxford Archaeology , accessed 12 September 2010. New earth bastions could be added to existing designs, such as at Cambridge and Carew Castle and at the otherwise unfortified Basing House the surrounding Norman ringw:ork was brought back into commission.Bull, p. 86; Lowry, p. 24; Creighton and Higham, p. 62. The costs could be considerable, with the work :at Skipton Castle coming to over £1000.Bull, p. 95.