Rochester Castle is located on the east bank of the River Medway in Rochester, Kent. The castle, which stands on an ancient road Watling Street, was a strategically important point, protects the south-eastern part of England.

First Rochester Castle was built after the Norman Conquest, and was given to the Bishop Odo, half-brother of William the Conqueror. During the war for the English throne in 1088 Odo supported the elder son William - Robert. For this King William II Redhead besieged Rochester Castle. After the surrender of Odo castle was abandoned. On the first appearance of the castle is not known, even the exact location of its construction.

In the 1087-89 biennium. Bishop of Rochester Gundulf at the request of King William II built a new stone in Rochester Castle. Despite the various adjustment lock is in its original form and today. In 1127 Rochester Castle passed into the ownership of Archbishop of Canterbury, William de Corbeil, at the same time was built and still preserved dungeon.

Rochester Castle was subjected to sieges during the unrest of the XIII century - the First and Second baronial war. The last time the castle was captured and looted during the peasant revolt of Wat Tyler in 1381. The fire, which occurred in the sunset of the Middle Ages, destroyed the floors and the roof of the castle. In this form it has remained to this day the English Revolution of the 17th century did not affect the castle, despite the fact that the city was captured by Royalists in 1648.

In the 19th century around the castle gardens pitched. Ruins of Rochester Castle served as the inspiration for the artist William Turner and writer Charles Dickens. Rochester Castle and its gardens are open to visitors since 1870.

The castle, built on the ruins of the Roman city walls, surrounded by a wall of the XII century, but in the XIX century it was demolished and built a new one. The gate was rebuilt in the XIII century. The castle, its walls and towers built of Kentish limestone.

Despite the fact that the castle is in ruins, its dungeon is one of the best preserved buildings of this type of XII century. Donjon - square building, the size of the base of 21x21 meters - located in the southern part of the castle next to the fortress wall. This is the highest dungeon in England: its height is 38 meters. The upper large windows, with decorated with only the top row of windows. In the north-eastern part of the castle is a spiral staircase that connects all its floors, stairs and the other from the south-west wing leads from the second floor to the third. In the northwest corner tower rooms are small, perhaps just was undeveloped and the south-west tower, rebuilt after the destruction in 1215 during the siege of the castle troops of King John Lackland.

Fortress of the 11th century were traditionally simply equipped, but Rochester Castle is the first example of a more complex plan of the fortress, where the rooms of Lord and his retinue are divided. The first floor was used as storage for the upper living quarters. On the second floor he lived the commandant of the fortress, looking after the castle during the absence of the owner. On the third floor are the best rooms of the castle and chapel. The second chapel was located on the fourth floor, there was also the entrance to the tower. The whole castle was richly decorated with tapestries and various pieces of furniture.