The last decade has seen a revolution in our understanding of the castle. Academics have moved way from interpretations which see the castle as basically a military structure, and they now emphasise other functions: its symbolic projection of power in the wider landscape and in architecture, and its aesthetic role in literature and as a place for designed landscapes. This wide-ranging and beautifully illustrated book draws on examples throughout England and Wales to make this re-evaluation available to a new generation of castle enthusiasts.