OCR GCSE History A J410
Castles: Form and Function c.1000–1750Historic environment
China 1950–1981: The People and the StateDepth study
Germany 1925–1955: The People and the StateDepth study
International Relations: The Changing International Order 1918–1975
Migration to Britain c.1000 to c.2010Thematic study
Personal Rule to Restoration 1629–1660British depth
Power: Monarchy and Democracy in Britain c.1000 to 2014Thematic study
South Africa 1960–1994: The People and the StateDepth study
The English Reformation c.1520–c.1550British depth
The Impact of Empire on Britain 1688–c.1730British depth
The USA 1919–1948: The People and the StateDepth study
The USA 1945–1974: The People and the StateDepth study
Urban Environments: Patterns of MigrationHistoric environment
War and British Society c.790 to c.2010Thematic study
Castles: Form and Function c.1000–1750
The location of Kenilworth Castle
- 3 things to know
- Paper 3
Overview
Why a Midlands castle mattered to king and rebels, the site near Warwick and the Forest of Arden, the red sandstone, the Great Mere and what old maps and Dugdale's Antiquities show.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
What building material gives Kenilworth its distinctive red colour?
Which two streams were dammed beside the castle, and what did the dams create?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Why did a castle standing in the middle of England matter so much to the king and to his greatest subjects?
Model answer
It sat close to the roads crossing the Midlands, so whoever held it could move men quickly towards London, Wales, the north or the west.
- 2
Why did Geoffrey de Clinton choose a site only a few miles from Warwick for his new castle in the 1120s?
Model answer
Henry I wanted a stronghold held by a loyal servant right beside the lands of the powerful Earl of Warwick, to keep the earl in check.
- 3
Why did rebels against the Crown find Kenilworth such a useful base?
Model answer
It was strong enough to hold out for months and stood in the heart of the kingdom, so a rebel garrison there threatened royal control of the whole Midlands.
- 4
Where in England does Kenilworth Castle stand?
Model answer
In Warwickshire in the Midlands, about five miles north of Warwick and about five miles south-west of Coventry, one of medieval England's richest towns.
- 5
Which great stretch of woodland lay around the castle, and what did its lords take from it?
Model answer
The Forest of Arden, which supplied timber for building, fuel for the fires and deer for hunting in the castle's parks and chase.
- 6
What building material gives Kenilworth its distinctive red colour?
Model answer
Red sandstone quarried in the district around the castle, so the stone did not have to be carried far.
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