Hadleigh Castle
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Hadleigh Castle, Essex overlooks the Thames from a ridge near Hadleigh. Construction was started in 1230 by Hubert de Burgh, regent to Henry III. Henry fell out with Hubert and confiscated the castle, as a royal property it was extended in the mid 14th century by Edward III.
The castle was usually tenanted, often by the king's wife, so Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves and Catherine Parr all used it. Edward VI sold it in 1551, and it was used as a source of stone for other buildings, and landslips further damaged the structure. Today only the barbican and a couple of towers remain, but still with commanding views. Owned by English Heritage, it is open any reasonable time.
The British artist John Constable painted a picture of the castle in 1829 which now hangs in the Yale Center for British Art at New Haven, United States.
