Hadley Castle

Hadley Castle in Essex once served as an important strategic fortification guarding the entrance to the mouth of the Thames. Unfortunately, neither people nor nature spared him - today only the ruins of two stone towers remain on the site of the once formidable bastion.

The castle was built after 1215 during the reign of King Edward II. Edward III, who replaced him, significantly expanded its territory, and the castle, along with the defensive ones, began to serve as a country royal estate. During the reign of the loving Henry VIII, the castle belonged in turn to three of his six wives.

In 1551, Hadley Castle was acquired by Lord Richard Rich, and over the next 20 years its walls and towers were dismantled almost to the ground - the stone was needed by the lord for other construction. In addition, initially the place for the construction of the fortress was chosen not too successfully – geologically unstable clay hill constantly “floated”, which led to natural subsidence of the building.

Today, on the northern side of the historical territory, you can see a three-tiered tower with narrow loopholes. One of its walls has not survived, but the other three give an idea of the original height of the castle buildings. The second of the towers is destroyed by two-thirds of its height, almost only its base remains. The ruins of the castle are classified as especially valuable historical monuments of England.