Dudley Castle’s history is tied up with the English Civil War. It was besieged between 1644-1646 by the Parliamentarian army, who later destroyed large sections of the castle to prevent it becoming a defensive position again.
However, this was not the first time the castle had been caught up in Civil War in England. In the 12th Century, in a period known as The Anarchy, another civil war began.
Troubles started when the only surviving male heir to the throne died unexpectedly in 1120. King Henry I aimed to pass the throne onto his daughter, Empress Matilda, however many nobles in England were unhappy with this given her marriage to European Royalty. Stephen of Blois, King Henry I’s nephew, laid claim to the throne in 1135 when King Henry died. In 1138, he laid siege to Dudley Castle as part of his campaign to pacify large sections of the country.
After an unsuccessful siege, Stephen moved on to ransack the surrounding countryside whilst marching to Shrewsbury. Throughout the war, power switched between supporters. King Stephen reigned from 1135 until his death in 1154, with the son of Empress Matilda inheriting the throne on his death - to become King Henry II.
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Read more of our blogs on Birmingham's historic sites, including the history of Dudley Castle, the Founding Father in the West Midlands, history of Birmingham's Gun Quarter & Gandhi's visit to the second city.