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King John's Castle

Castle, fort or tower
King John's Castle
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King John built Odiham Castle between 1207 and 1214 as a formidable fortress with ten-foot walls, not merely a hunting lodge. Its rare octagonal tower rose beside the River Whitewater to impress and defend against French threats. In 1216, thirteen men held the castle against fourteen hundred knights and seven thousand soldiers for two weeks. The castle stood until the sixteenth century, when ruin took it, leaving only ghosts and grass beside the canal path.
A named place photographed at this map point in Hart.
King John's Castle was built during the late 12th or early 13th century, likely under the orders of King John of England, to consolidate Norman control in the region. It is remembered as a symbol of medieval English authority and military presence in the area.

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Photo: Hugh Chevallier · CC BY-SA 2.0