6000 x 3945 px | 50,8 x 33,4 cm | 20 x 13,2 inches | 300dpi
Date de la prise de vue:
mars 1999
Lieu:
Cooling Kent
Informations supplémentaires:
Sir John de Cobham, third Baron Cobham inherited an 700 acre (2.8 km²) estate at Cobham from his father Henry in 1335, originally acquired by the de Cobhams in 1241. John Lord Cobham later built the castle in 1381, as he was in charge of the defence of Kent but a successful raid by the Spanish and French up to Gravesend spurred the king to realize the defence was needed. For in 1379 French vessels appeared in the Thames, with a body of French and Spanish soldiers who 'ravaged all this part of Kent', so that every town and village near the river fell to them. Sir John de Cobham died at Cooling in 1408. The castle, described as 'startling white-stone, drum-towered gatehouse and moated ruins of Cooling Castle' (Arnold), has two excellent and well proportioned half-round towers and entrance built by Thomas Crump of Maidstone. From the road, these are the most visible parts of the castle. The castle was constructed by the stonemason Henry Yeverle, who also worked extensively on the Palace of Westminster and the Tower of London. In 1381, the castle began to take shape, obtaining licence from King Richard to 'crenellate and fortify it'. In 1413 the castle was owned by Sir John Oldcastle, the model for Shakespeare's character Falstaff. The name of Brooke was derived from Sir Thomas Brooke, who was wed to the daughter and only surviving child of the Lady Joan de Cobham, by Sir Reginald Braybrooke. It was Braybrooke who bequeathed Cooling Castle into the de Cobham estate, although that family maintained Cobham Hall even then as its main residence. Nevertheless, Cooling castle was stormed by Sir Thomas Wyatt in 1554 during the Kentish uprising against Queen Mary and after the failure of Lord John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland to install Lady Jane Grey on the throne. That Sir Thomas Wyatt stormed Cooling Castle so easily may be explained by the interesting detail that the same was a nephew of Lord Cobham. Sir Thomas Wyatt was the son of Elizabeth Brooke, Cobham's sister, so hi
