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Isle of Wight Carisbrooke Castle - A very Short History
Probably built on the site of a Roman fort
The original castle was built about 1071 to 1078 by Roger Fitz Osbern
In 1136, the Norman Lord Baldwin sided with the Empress Maud against King Stephen
The King besieged the castle, and it was taken when the water supply dried up in the well in the keep
A new well was dug, and is still in existence, and can be visited to see the donkey wheel
During the 14th Century, the castle was often attacked by the French, but was never taken
In 1642, during the English Civil war, the castle was taken over by the Parliamentarians, Oliver Cromwell's men
In 1647 King Charles 1st was held prisoner at the castle
Two escape attempts were tried by him, but both were unsuccessful
In 1648 he was removed to another location at Newport
In January 1649 he was beheaded at Whitehall in London
It was used, from about 1509, as an occasional residence of the governor of the Isle of Wight
The last governor was the Duke of Wellington in 1956