Then & Now

The Godcake – Then & Now

This undated ‘then’ postcard shows the junction of Castle Green, Castle Hill and Castle Road opposite the Queen & Castle pub, known locally as ‘The Godcake’. The ‘now’ images was photographed in early Autumn of 2018.  First, a few words about the term ‘godcake’. I confess, I first came across the term amongst the writings… Read More The Godcake – Then & Now

Then & Now

Oxpen Meadow Marsh – Then & Now

This image of Oxpen Meadow, was provided to KHAS from the collection of the late Reg Palmer. In the distance (left) is the Castle, and in front of it can be seen 38 Castle Road, beside the Ford. The meadow beneath Little Virginia can be seen to the rear. A few trees have come and… Read More Oxpen Meadow Marsh – Then & Now

Then & Now

Prince of Wales Visit to the Castle – Then & Now

This pair of Then & Now images shows the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales to Kenilworth Castle. The ‘then’ image is an artificially colourised version of another black and white photograph held by Warwick County Records Office. Whoever did the colourisation was evidently unsure which of the Gatehouse windows were bricked up and which… Read More Prince of Wales Visit to the Castle – Then & Now

Then & Now

Warwickshire Hunt – Then & Now

This pair of then & now photos show a once familiar scene when the Warwickshire Hunt gathered for its traditional Boxing Day meeting in the car park of Kenilworth Castle. The hounds are gathered and the horses seem to be mounted by exceptionally youthful riders except for one or two older members, which leads one… Read More Warwickshire Hunt – Then & Now

Articles

3D Model of Kenilworth Castle – A Work in Progress

For a number of years a KHAS member has been researching and creating a virtual 3D model of Kenilworth Castle as it might have been in 1645. Here are some preview images of the current model. Firstly, a view of the whole castle site from the direction of The Brayes: The next image is of the inner… Read More 3D Model of Kenilworth Castle – A Work in Progress

Then & Now

Preparing to Repair the Breach in the Tiltyard, 1964 – Then & Now

Here’s a view which is almost impossible to recreate today – a view through the breach in the tiltyard beneath Mortimer’s Tower, taken in 1964. The ‘then’ photograph probably shows the end of the stone bridge eastern side wall in the bottom left. In which case the camera was about three metres below the general… Read More Preparing to Repair the Breach in the Tiltyard, 1964 – Then & Now

Then & Now

Laying the Pipes Under the Tiltyard, 1964 – Then & Now

It was widely assumed that Colonel Hawkesworth drained the mere and breached the Tiltyard dam to render the former royalist stronghold indefensible. However an article on page 32 in Kenilworth History 2015: “The question has often been asked when the breach in the dam was made? This is not known. Hawkesworth may have just opened… Read More Laying the Pipes Under the Tiltyard, 1964 – Then & Now

Then & Now

Filling in the Gap in the Tiltyard, 1964 – Then & Now

The ‘then’ photo shows the preparations for filling in a gap in the castle’s Tiltyard by the Ministry of Public Building and Works in 1964 . The restored Tiltyard entrance opened in 1967, replacing the lower walkway which sits beside the Tiltyard. The dam was probably constructed in three phases; initially circa 1125, then subsequently… Read More Filling in the Gap in the Tiltyard, 1964 – Then & Now

Then & Now

The Castle from the Air – Then & Now

This remarkable pair of aerial photos shows the castle from the air, taken from the west. The ‘then’ photo dates from before the Elizabethan garden had first been restored in the 1970s. The ‘now photo’ dates from 2016 showing the Elizabethan garden, now bedding in nicely following an archaeological dig in 2006 and the completion… Read More The Castle from the Air – Then & Now

Then & Now

Tilt Yard Mill, 1964 – Then & Now

1964 – Charles Blick and John Drew at Tilt Yard Mill site. Now obscured by the more recent 1960s bridge and undergrowth, this 1964 picture shows the excavation of one of a number of watermills surrounding the castle and abbey. As Rob Steward put it in Kenilworth History 1997/98 “To control the water of the… Read More Tilt Yard Mill, 1964 – Then & Now

Then & Now

The Castle from the Brays, 1907 – Then & Now

The Castle from the Brays. – Old post card postmarked 1907. Mortimer’s Tower was originally a Norman stone gatehouse, extended in the late 13th and 16th centuries. Following the slighting of the castle by Colonel Hawkesworth at the end of the Civil War, the Tiltyard became impassable and thus in the ‘then’ picture it is… Read More The Castle from the Brays, 1907 – Then & Now

Then & Now

Manticora – Then & Now

March 1966 – John Drew indicating position of ‘the Manticora’ carved on the wall which sits opposite the castle’s modern gift shop. A manticore is a Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth, sometimes bat-like wings, and… Read More Manticora – Then & Now