CASTLE VISITS TO 'KEEP' ALL THE FAMILY ENTERTAINED

From Norman earthworks to royal palaces, English Heritage cares for more mighty strongholds than anyone. And these days, writes MATT NIXSON, you don't need to lay siege to get inside... our brilliant free family passes offer entry to more than 100 fortifications

- MATT NIXSON

From Norman earthworks to royal palaces, English Heritage cares for more mighty strongholds than anyone.

reshaped over the centuries into earthworks, ditches and tunnels with imposing walls and towers raised above. Henry II began building the present castle in the 1180s, and its defences have been adapted to meet the changing demands of weapons and warfare ever since. From 1179 to 1188, the king spent over £6,500 on the castle, an enormous sum considering that his annual revenue was likely around £10,000. Since then, it's survived sieges and takeovers and remains one of Britain's largest castles.

During the Second World War, it was used as an air raid shelter, hospital and then, in May 1940, the HQ for Operation Dynamo, the Dunkirk evacuation under the command of Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay, Beneath the fortress, a network of tunnels deep within the cliffs became the nerve centre controlling the evacuation. Today families can explore them, while youngsters can enjoy the siege warfare play area and test their skills as they squeeze through tunnels, scale walls, and fire the mighty trebuchet.

CLIFFORD'S TOWER, YORK

The oldest surviving part of York Castle, northern England's greatest medieval fortress, Clifford's Tower also contains something of a technological marvel that helped change the world for the better. Will Wyeth explains: "This has the world's first ever flushing toilet, built for Henry III in the mid 13th century, which visitors can now see for the first time in 400 years." The tower's crowning glory is its timber roof platform, giving access to 360-degree panoramas over the stunning city of York and further afield. Take a seat on one of the audio benches and listen to dramatic stories about the 1069 uprising against the Normans, the efforts to repair the tower during the reign of Richard III, and a destructive explosion that seriously damaged the castle and tower in the 17th century.