Eight 13th-century catapult stones have been discovered perfectly preserved outside the walls of Kenilworth Castle in central England. These projectiles, fired during the 1266 siege of Kenilworth Castle amid the Second Baron’s War, vary in size, with the largest weighing 105kg and the smallest just 1kg.
From 25 June to 13 December 1266, Kenilworth Castle endured a 172-day siege, one of the most significant military engagements of Henry III’s reign. During the Baron’s War, Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the king’s brother-in-law, controlled the castle. After Montfort’s death at the Battle of Evesham in August 1265, his supporters continued to hold Kenilworth. In March 1266, Henry’s messenger was returned with a severed hand, prompting Henry to reclaim the royal stronghold by force.
Henry deployed a vast arsenal, including 60,000 crossbow bolts and nine siege engines, to breach the castle’s 14-foot-thick walls. The garrison inside also had siege engines, resulting in the exchange of stone projectiles, which were found near the west castle walls.
Photos courtesy English Heritage
“We were able to immediately link these findings to the 1266 siege because of similar finds recovered during an archaeological excavation of Kenilworth Castle in the 1960s,” says Will Wyeth, English Heritage’s Properties Historian. “However, it’s not every day we get lucky enough to stumble across historical remains like this by chance. Imagine the surprise of the team working on improving the pathways around the site when they unearthed these impressive stone projectiles that are nearly 800 years old!
“These would have caused some serious damage fired from war machines. Records show that one of Henry III’s wooden siege towers, containing around 200 crossbowmen, was destroyed by just one well-aimed missile.”
After nearly six months, the rebels, weakened by starvation and disease, surrendered Kenilworth Castle to Henry. Today, the castle is a major landmark and is managed by English Heritage.
The discovery occurred during a major project to improve accessibility around the castle. The recent accessibility improvements around the castle, funded by a grant from the FCC Communities Foundation and supported by local organizations, aim to enhance pedestrian and wheelchair access, including on pathways maintained by English Heritage.
Eight 13th-century catapult stones have been discovered perfectly preserved outside the walls of Kenilworth Castle in central England. These projectiles, fired during the 1266 siege of Kenilworth Castle amid the Second Baron’s War, vary in size, with the largest weighing 105kg and the smallest just 1kg.
From 25 June to 13 December 1266, Kenilworth Castle endured a 172-day siege, one of the most significant military engagements of Henry III’s reign. During the Baron’s War, Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the king’s brother-in-law, controlled the castle. After Montfort’s death at the Battle of Evesham in August 1265, his supporters continued to hold Kenilworth. In March 1266, Henry’s messenger was returned with a severed hand, prompting Henry to reclaim the royal stronghold by force.
Henry deployed a vast arsenal, including 60,000 crossbow bolts and nine siege engines, to breach the castle’s 14-foot-thick walls. The garrison inside also had siege engines, resulting in the exchange of stone projectiles, which were found near the west castle walls.
“We were able to immediately link these findings to the 1266 siege because of similar finds recovered during an archaeological excavation of Kenilworth Castle in the 1960s,” says Will Wyeth, English Heritage’s Properties Historian. “However, it’s not every day we get lucky enough to stumble across historical remains like this by chance. Imagine the surprise of the team working on improving the pathways around the site when they unearthed these impressive stone projectiles that are nearly 800 years old!
“These would have caused some serious damage fired from war machines. Records show that one of Henry III’s wooden siege towers, containing around 200 crossbowmen, was destroyed by just one well-aimed missile.”
After nearly six months, the rebels, weakened by starvation and disease, surrendered Kenilworth Castle to Henry. Today, the castle is a major landmark and is managed by English Heritage.
The discovery occurred during a major project to improve accessibility around the castle. The recent accessibility improvements around the castle, funded by a grant from the FCC Communities Foundation and supported by local organizations, aim to enhance pedestrian and wheelchair access, including on pathways maintained by English Heritage.
Click here to learn more about Kenilworth Castle.
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