Thursday, 31 July
6.10pm

Knowledgeable and engaging presenter Simon Thurley continues this fascinating series with a look at the rise of castles across the British countryside.

The monasteries were mainly successful corporations of their time, amassing considerable wealth via donations from the rich trying to 'buy' their salvation.

When Henry VIII closed the monasteries during the reformation of 1539, most were stripped of their valuables and the wealth went into his coffers and made a number of his courtiers and friends extremely rich. These noblemen built magnificent castles to boast their social status and wealth. As peace settled through Britain, the elaborate architecture of these castles was for show rather than for their owners' self-protection.