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Ask anyone for an historic British date and you will likely hear the year 1066. Ask for a geographic location relating to 1066 and you will hear 'Hastings'.

Unless of course you have an interest in Berkhamsted and then you may know that the story goes further.
In history lessons we learned that Harold died as a result of a Norman arrow penetrating his eye. At that moment the 'Battle of Hastings' was over. The Normans sensed victory and were ready to advance to London, causing absolute havoc en route.

The Saxon leaders in London were anxious to stop further destruction and needed to act fast. They chose to ride towards the 'victors' and open discussions with 'William - the Crown of England'.

The talks took place at Berkhamsted and he accepted the submission of the Saxons. William of Normandy then became William the Conqueror and began a peaceful journey to London where he was crowned King of England at Westminster on Christmas Day, 1066.

It is easy to sweep over Berkamsted as being just a place where two factions happen to meet but this isn't the case. The population of the Manor of Berkhamsted was about 500 according to the domesday survey in 1068.

The manor at Berkhamsted was awarded to the Earl Mortain, William's half-brother. The Domesday Records of 1086 confirm this according to the following exerpt;
Mortain, Robert, Count of - Half-brother of William I, younger brother of Odo of Bayeux. Married Earl Hugh of Chester's daughter. Lord of the Sussex rape of Pevensey, with castle there. Virtual Earl of Cornwall; fief included Honour of Berkhamsted with castle there. Rebelled 1088; pardoned; died 1091. Largest landholder in the country after the King. Holdings in 19 counties.

It was Mortain that establised the original motte-and-bailey castle at Berkhamsted although it was already a Saxon fort.

Henry I held court at the Castle in from 1123. During his reign and that of Henry II, the castle was in the hands of Thomas Becket (1155-1164) and other Chancellors,. Extensive building works were undertaken.

In 1163 Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury suffered confiscation of the castle by Henry II after accusing him of having misappropriated monies.

Richard I (The Lionheart) - King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199 had possession in 1191 and gave it to his queen, Berengaria of Navarre who lived there until Richard's death. He was also known as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Ireland, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Nantes and Overlord of Brittany.

1204 saw King John grant the castle to his queen, Isabella of Angoulême, who remained in residence until 1216. In that year Prince Louis of France (later Louis VIII) besieged the castle as part of an attempt to seize the English Throne. The castle finally fell after a two week barrage from mangonels (giant catapults).

Richard, Earl of Cornwall, younger brother of Henry III, was granted the castle in 1227. It was to be his main residence and the administrative centre of the Earldom of Cornwall. His wife Isabel died here in 1240 following childbirth.

The castle was birthplace to Richard's son, Edmund, the 2nd Earl of Cornwall, he founded a religious house at Ashridge and installed a small order of monks, the Bonhommes, to manage it in 1270.

Edward I held a parliament at Ashridge in 1291. Edward then granted Berkhamsted to his second queen, Margaret of France. On her death, Isabella of France, queen of Edward II, succeeded.

In 1337 Edward III gave the castle to his son Edward, the Black Prince, as part of the newly-created Duchy of Cornwall, still held today by Prince Charles.

1356 saw John II of France imprisoned in the castle after the Battle of Poitiers. Eventually, John was taken to the Tower of London.

The Black Prince spent his honeymoon at the castle in 1361, and enjoyed hunting deer in its extensive grounds.

Geoffrey Chaucer was appointed Clerk to the Works in 1389.

Upon his accession in 1399, Henry IV granted the castle to his son, who became Henry V. It was then passed to Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI's queen.

In 1469 Edward IV granted the castle to his mother Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, who lived at Berkhamsted Castle for the remainder of her life. After her death, the castle gradually fell into decay.

The castle was abandoned in 1495 and pillaged by builders who stole the masonry to build properties in and around Berkhamsted.
In 1580 Elizabeth I leased the Manor of Berkhamsted, including the ruins of the castle and the deer park, for the nominal rent of one red rose to Sir Edward Carey, Keeper of the Queen's Jewels. He built Berkhamsted Place on the hill above the castle using some of the remaining stone from the ruins of the castle.

For centuries the castle was left neglected and crumbling until the site was carefully preserved by the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works. Now by English Heritage control and maintain the remains.

Several royal charters were bestowed upon Berkhamsted. The first, granted by Henry III in 1216, this was to see the freeing of the men and merchants of the town from all tolls and taxes wherever they went in England, Normandy, Aquitaine and Anjou. Another charter was given by Edward IV in 1477 and directed that no market was to be set up within eleven miles of Berkhamsted, and further that the inhabitants were not to be summoned for jury service.

In 1618 James made Berkhamsted a "free borough towne", its own government vested in a bailiff and a common council of twelve chief burgesses. Sadly the Corporation was allowed to lapse, and an attempt to secure a fresh charter from Charles II failed.
If we inspect the coat of arms for Berkhamsted we can see evidence of the town's former civic status granted to the borough in 1619. The castle design was chosen "after deliberate consideration that the glory of that place hath proceeded from the ancient castle there".

His Worship the Mayor is no longer the 'Chief Citizen', this accolade rests now with the chairman of the Urban District Council, which began in 1898 after centuries of local government by the Vestry. www.berkhamsted-castle.org.uk

www.itstheweekend.org It's The Weekend is a guide of things to do and places top go. Cinema, Theatre, Shopping, Pampering. Treats, even places where kids and families can go for free!

Hertfordshire Free Days Out For Children ... and Families