Week 3 The Siege of Winchester 1265
THREAD 👇
THREAD 👇
Upon the death of King John in 1216, his son succeeded to the throne as Henry III. The boy of only 9 years inherited a crown fraught with civil war.
Following the First Barons’ War, Winchester Castle had been retaken in the king’s name, however many of its defences had been devastated. At a cost of approximately £6000, the repairs took place in stages and included many innovations, such as the construction of the Great Hall.
Significant improvements were also made to the outside defensive walls. The old square tower was replaced with a more robust round one, equipped with sally-port passageways.
These tunnels, pictured below, were secret underground corridors connecting the castle to the surrounding gates, enabling the garrison to both attack from and retreat to safety. 
The updated defences were tested when in 1265 Simon de Montfort the Younger captured Winchester during the Second Barons’ War. Montfort’s forces proceeded to sack the city, plundering businesses and predominately targeting the Jewish community.
Winchester Castle however successfully withstood siege and sheltered many who took refuge there.
We recommend virtually following the Medieval Jewish Winchester trail for those interested in discovering more. A copy can downloaded from:
visitwinchester.co.uk/listing/mediev…
#visitwinchester
visitwinchester.co.uk/listing/mediev…
#visitwinchester
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