Battle Castle host Dan Snow reveals why 4 p.m. sunsets are a thing of beauty during a November shoot at Dover Castle in Kent, England.
This castle, known as “the Key to England” was attacked by Prince Louis of France with an array of weapons technology including the mangonel, perrier and siege tower. The stone castle was built mostly by Henry the II’s engineer Maurice, and defended by Hubert de Burgh, loyal to English King John.
Dan’s blogs will be released every Thursday on YouTube, unveiling details related to the stories that will be profiled in the Battle Castle shows.
Battle Castle host Dan Snow details the unusual story of a Roman amphitheatre that sits at the foot of the Alcazaba of Malaga in the Andalusia region of Spain. The theatre was built in time of Augustus, and was later used as a quarry by Muslims to raise the city’s fortifications. Roman column shafts and capitals, still visible in the walls of the structures, are said to be a testament to the castle builders’ pragmatic approach to construction. Battle Castle: Malaga brings to life the medieval siege of 1487, when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella attacked the city and its Castillo de Gibralfaro in an attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Granada and complete the Reconquista, a Muslim Christian conflict that spanned centuries.
Dan’s vlogs will be released every Thursday on YouTube, unveiling details related to the stories that will be profiled in the Battle Castle shows.
Here’s what’s going on this week in our current production, Battle Castle:
On YouTube
Battle Castle: host Dan Snow reveals how bad timing changed Chateau Gaillard’s history
Battle Castle host Dan Snow details King John’s attempt at thwarting the siege of Chateau Gaillard. The King of England, also known as John Lackland, planned a two-pronged attack, meant to triumph over Philip Augustus of France and his army, who were positioned outside English King Richard I’s stronghold in Normandy. Battle Castle: Gaillard reveals how Richard the Lionheart’s castle builders constructed the fortifications, which included securing the castle, an island fort, and the town of Petit Andely, and details the medieval weapons that the French used to attack it. Dan’s blogs will be released every Thursday on YouTube, unveiling details related to the stories that will be profiled in the Battle Castle shows .
Dan’s blogs will be released every Thursday on YouTube, unveiling details related to the stories that will be profiled in the Battle Castle shows .
Battle Castle: Malbork — Middle Castle gate
The Battle Castle crew moves one of five gates that mark the entrance to the Middle Castle at Malbork, Poland. The gate is cobbled, with stone plates that marked the way for carts so that they didn’t damage the gate jams. Battle Castle: Malbork profiles the siege of 1410 when Polish and Lithuanian forces attacked the brick stronghold. The offensive, which was led by King Jagiello and Grand Duke Vytautas, occurred after the Battle of Tannenberg. The castle, historically known as Marienburg, was built by the Teutonic Order, crusader knights who occupied this area of the Baltic in medieval times.
Here’s what’s going on this week in our current production, Battle Castle:
On YouTube
Battle Castle: host Dan Snow details Conwy Castle’s peculiar curvature
Battle Castle host Dan Snow explores Conwy’s great hall and details the reason behind its unusual shape. This Welsh castle was built by King Edward I in Snowdonia, Wales, and was tested with Madog ap Llywelyn led a medieval rebellion against the English and their Iron Ring of fortifications in the late 13th century. The secrets of this mighty castle’s build and details of the siege it faced are revealed in Battle Castle: Conwy.
Dan’s blogs will be released every Thursday on YouTube, unveiling details related to the stories that will be profiled in the Battle Castle shows
Battle Castle: Conwy – the winds of Wales
Writer Nicole Tomlinson details the wilds of Wales and their role in Battle Castle: Conwy. The film crew and host Dan Snow moved away form the city and into the outlands to capture the spirit of what Snowdonia may have looked like in 1294 when Welsh leader Madog ap Llywelyn headed a medieval rebellion against the English and laid siege to their castles. The castle builders who engineered and constructed Conwy and the other fortifications in King Edward I’s Iron Ring and the soldiers who fought for the English would have had to navigate lands like these.
Here’s what’s going on this week in our current production, Battle Castle:
On YouTube
Battle Castle: Host Dan Snow reveals how Malbork’s Teutonic knights dined like kings.
Battle Castle host Dan Snow reveals what the Teutonic Knights at Malbork Castle in Poland ate and drank, and how their meals were prepared and brought to them during life in the Middle Ages. This stronghold, believed to be the largest brick castle in the world, was built by Christians during the Baltic Crusades. The fortification, historically known as Marienburg, was besieged by Polish and Lithuanian forces after the Battle of Tannenberg in 1410, and defended by Heinrich von Plauen.
Dan’s blog will be released every Thursday on YouTube, unveiling details related to the stories that will be profiled in the Battle Castle shows.
On Flickr
Battle Castle: Conwy – Dan Snow climbs a siege ladder
On-site photos taken during the filming of Battle Castle: Conwy as host Dan Snow attempted to defeat a stone wall using a replica of a medieval siege ladder. The ladder, built by Gary Ball, is similar to those used in the Middle Ages during the time that Conwy and King Edward I’s other Welsh castles were built. The show reveals the castle builders who engineered and raised these fortifications, as well as the weapons and battles that tested them in 1294 when Welsh leader Madog ap Llywelyn headed a medieval rebellion against the English and laid siege to their castles.
Here’s what’s going on this week in our current production, Battle Castle:
On YouTube
Battle Castle: Six mighty castles. Six epic sieges. Explore. Play. Go medieval.
Battle Castle host Dan Snow reveals details of trebuchet balls in the depths of Syria’s Crac des Chevaliers, the crown jewel of crusader castles. The castle was constructed by Christian knights in the 12th and 13th centuries, and faced attack by a Muslim force armed with trebuchets and led by the Mamluk Sultan Baybars in 1271. The secrets of this mighty castle’s build and details of the epic siege it faced are revealed in Battle Castle: Crac des Chevaliers.
Dan’s blogs will be released every Thursday on YouTube, unveiling details related to the stories that will be profiled in the Battle Castle shows .
On Flickr
Battle Castle: Malbork – the art of war
Photos taken of various works of art at an exhibit while filming on-site for Battle Castle: Malbork with host Dan Snow in Poland. The show profiles the siege of 1410 when Polish and Lithuanian forces attacked the brick stronghold. The offensive, which was led by King Jagiello and Grand Duke Vytautas, occurred after the Battle of Tannenberg. The castle, historically known as Marienburg, was built by the Teutonic Order, crusader knights who occupied this area of the Baltic in medieval times.
Here’s what’s going on this week in our current production, Battle Castle:
On YouTube
Battle Castle: Malbork — exploring the castle
Writer Nicole Tomlinson and the rest of the Battle Castle crew, including host Dan Snow, explore an area of Malbork Castle in Poland that’s normally out of bounds to the public. Battle Castle: Malbork profiles the siege of 1410 when Polish and Lithuanian forces attacked the brick stronghold. The offensive, which was led by King Jagiello and Grand Duke Vytautas, occurred after the Battle of Tannenberg. The castle, historically known as Marienburg, was built by the Teutonic Order, crusader knights who occupied this area of the Baltic in medieval times.
On Flickr
Battle Castle: Gaillard – surrounding lands
Photos of the area surrounding Chateau Gaillard, including the River Seine and the town of Petit Andely, taken during the filming of Battle Castle: Gaillard with host Dan Snow. The French army, led by Philip Augustus of France, laid siege to English King Richard I’s stronghold in 1203-1204. The show reveals how Richard the Lionheart’s castle builders constructed the fortifications and details the medieval weapons used to attack it.
Here’s what’s going on this week in our current production, Battle Castle:
On YouTube
Battle Castle: Gaillard — crew arrives at hotel
Executive Producer and Director Ian Herring and Camera and Director of Photography Sean F. White arrive at Chateau Corneille with the rest of the Battle Castle crew, ready to film host Dan Snow at Chateau Gaillard. The French army, led by Philip Augustus of France, laid siege to English King Richard I’s stronghold in Normandy in 1203-1204. Battle Castle: Gaillard reveals how Richard the Lionheart’s castle builders constructed the fortifications, which included securing the castle, an island fort, and the town of Petit Andely, and details the medieval weapons used to attack it.
On Flickr
Battle Castle: Conwy – the Wilds of Wales
Photos of Snowdonia in Northern Wales, taken during the filming of Battle Castle: Conwy. The production crew and host Dan Snow travelled out into the Wilds of Wales to capture the spirit of what the region may have looked like in the Middle Ages during the time that Conwy and King Edward I’s other Welsh castles were built. The show reveals the castle builders who engineered and raised these fortifications, as well as the weapons and battles that tested them in 1294 when Welsh leader Madog ap Llywelyn headed a medieval rebellion against the English and laid siege to their castles.
From this week forward, we’ll be sharing highlights from our current production, Battle Castle, on our blog.
Hosted by historian and broadcaster Dan Snow, Battle Castle profiles the military architecture and engineering of some of the world’s greatest castles, as well as the medieval weapons technology they faced during the epic sieges that tested them.
This action documentary series is scheduled to air on History Television in Canada and Discovery UK early next year. It’s also slated for distribution by BBC Worldwide.
Battle Castle reveals the stories of:
-Dover – The Key to England
-Crac des Chevaliers – The Crown Jewel of Crusader Castles
-Malaga – Ferdinand and Isabella’s bloodiest siege
-Conwy – King Edward’s Iron Ring
-Chateau Gaillard – Richard the Lionheart’s stronghold
-Malbork – The Teutonic Knight’s red-brick glory
In addition to these broadcasts, Battle Castle also features an extensive online world that continues to grow every day.
This trans-medieval journey includes exclusive web content, behind-the-scenes material, and plenty of opportunities to #gomedieval.
Here’s what’s going on this week in the Battle Castle universe:
On YouTube
Battle Castle: Gaillard – Dark Discovery
Camera and Director of Photography Sean F. White and Technical Assistant Rory Lambert explore an unexpected opening found at Chateau Gaillard. The French army, led by Philip Augustus of France, laid siege to English King Richard I’s stronghold in Normandy in 1203-1204. Battle Castle: Gaillard reveals how Richard the Lionheart’s castle builders constructed the fortifications, which included securing the castle, an island fort, and the town of Petit Andely, and details the medieval weapons used to attack it.
Photos of an exhibit at Malbork Castle, meant to recreate what a meal served at the fortification during the Middle Ages may have consisted of, shot during the filming of Battle Castle: Malbork with host Dan Snow in Poland. The show profiles the siege of 1410 when Polish and Lithuanian forces attacked the brick stronghold. The offensive, which was led by King Jagiello and Grand Duke Vytautas, occurred after the Battle of Tannenberg. The castle, historically known as Marienburg, was built by the Teutonic Order, crusader knights who occupied this area of the Baltic in medieval times.
