Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire Pictures

Berkeley Castle stands as one of England's most remarkable medieval fortresses, continuously inhabited by the same family for over 900 years since its founding after the Norman Conquest. Originally granted to Robert Fitzharding by King Henry II in the 12th century as reward for his loyalty, the castle's imposing stone keep and defensive walls have witnessed critical moments in English history, most infamously the imprisonment and brutal murder of King Edward II in 1327. The castle evolved through centuries of architectural additions, from its core Norman structure to Tudor and Georgian modifications, reflecting the changing needs and tastes of successive Berkeley generations. Having survived the English Civil War (though damaged during a Roundhead siege in 1645) and subsequent periods of English tumult, Berkeley maintains its unique status as the oldest continuously occupied castle in England still held by the descendant family of its original recipient. Today, the castle encompasses a remarkable collection of furnishings, paintings, tapestries and artifacts that chronicle nearly a millennium of English aristocratic life, while its surrounding gardens and deer park complement the medieval stronghold with their enduring beauty.