Carisbrooke Castle

Today's adventure was a visit to Carisbrooke Castle, main picture is the gatehouse, a substantial entrance to the C12 motte and bailey castle within. There has been a Saxon fortress and castle of the Norman Conquest on the site and much alteration in Elizabethan times.


Charles I was imprisoned here in the months prior to his trial and the castle has many exhibits relating to this, both in the chapel and the museum.


Walking round the castle walls, from the Shell Keep wide views included back across the Solent to the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. Then walking round the Bowling Green, the raised banks of flowers typical of the chalk landscape, including rock rose, sheep's bit scabious, viper's bugloss,  pyramid orchid and, to my delight, I found a bee orchid (extra photo) for the first time.


Queues for the well house were deemed too long so we missed the demonstration of the treadwheel, in which donkeys walked to bring water from the 30m deep well. There are four here on a rota and we met most of the animals, either in their stable or out on exercise with keepers, plus one who is still in training (extra 2).


After a cool start the day warmed, with blue sky, low and high cloud and, though windy, rather less than yesterday