Richard Eales

Richard Eales is an expert on castles, both in the British Isles and abroad, including the Middle East, as well as medieval defences more widely. Concerning Kent castles, he has made a particular study of the royal castles of Canterbury, Rochester and Dover, as well as matters of lordship and patronage linked to castle guard and other issues regarding their construction and maintenance.

He lectured on medieval history at the University of Kent, where he was for several years Head of History, and at Canterbury Christ Church University. He is a committee member of the Castles Study Group, which promotes the study of castles in all their forms.

About the event

Many of the most ambitious fortifications of the Middle Ages were built during the ‘long’ 13th century c.1180-1340. Building techniques improved, but also populations peaked and rulers had more resources. This talk will look at some examples, from local (Dover) to elsewhere in Britain and down into France, to ask why they were built, what benefits their lords hoped to get from them, and what actually happened.