Once resplendent in strength, wealth and grandeur, many castles around the world have fallen into ruin. From the Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers in France to Ha Ha Tonka in Missouri, USA, their haunting beauty remains a testament to the glories of the past.
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Corfe Castle on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset has been a romantic ruin on the English landscape for 350 years. Built by William the Conqueror in the early 12th century, it's seen its share of horror.
In the 13th century, Bad King John lived up to his name when he starved 22 Frenchmen to death in the dungeons. In 1572, Queen Elizabeth I sold the castle into private hands, and it was bought by Sir John Bankes in 1635.
During the Civil War, the castle was besieged by Parliamentarian forces. After Sir John was killed, his widow Mary and her soldiers fought back against Cromwell’s troops from within.
But when Lady Bankes was betrayed by one of her soldiers, the castle was destroyed in 1645.
The Bankes family was given the property back when Charles II was restored to the throne, but they never rebuilt it or lived there again. It remained in the family until 1982 when it was given to the National Trust, which still operates the site today.
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Ogrodzieniec Castle was built in the 14th and 15th centuries in the southern highland region of Poland and the walls of this impressive fortress were incorporated into the surrounding rocks.
Over the centuries, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. It was during Poland’s war with Sweden in 1702 that it would meet its final demise.
Enemy troops set the castle on fire and the damage was so extensive that it was never rebuilt. After World War II, Ogrodzieniec was taken over by the government and preservation work started.
In 1973, the castle was opened to the public. Only an hour’s drive from Krakow, it's worth a visit for its labyrinth of corridors and amazing views.
Fans of the Netflix show The Witcher, based on books by the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, will recognise this magnificent castle, as it featured in the series.
Businessman Robert Snyder dreamt of building a European-style castle in Missouri. In 1904, he purchased Ha Ha Tonka Lake and Spring, later amassing 5,000 acres in the region.
For his castle, Snyder brought in stone masons from Scotland and ensured authentic techniques were used in its construction. However, in 1906, Snyder was tragically killed in one of the state's first car accidents.
After his death, Snyder’s sons continued construction. By the early 1920s, the castle was complete.
However, during the Depression in the 1930s, the family business went into decline and in 1942, the castle was gutted by a fire. It was never rebuilt and lay empty and abandoned.
However, in the late 1970s, the state of Missouri bought the land. The ghostly ruin has become a tourist attraction and a site for hiking and nature walks.
As well as the castle ruins, Ha Ha Tonka State Park features a natural bridge, bluffs and one of the state’s largest springs.
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Exquisite diamonds such as the Koh-i-Noor, now part of the British crown jewels, and the Hope diamond were mined in the area surrounding Golconda Fort. This impressive 16th-century fortress, west of Hyderabad in southern India, became rich as the heart of the diamond industry.
The fortified citadel sits on top of a 394-foot (120m) hill. The architecture of Golconda was state of the art for its time – for example, natural air conditioning allowed it to remain cool in summer.
The fort fell to the Mughal army in 1687, and the resulting devastation meant it was no longer repaired. The magnificent ruin is testament to the wealth of the diamond trade, the ingenuity of the architects and the might of the Indian empire.
So deeply rooted is Old Wardour Castle in the English countryside that it seems to have always been in this crumbling state. But in the 14th century, it was a magnificent six-sided castle, built by John Lovell after marrying heiress Maud Holland.
Wardour passed back and forth between aristocrats and royalty until it was bought by the Arundell family in the 16th century. During the Civil War in 1643, the castle was besieged and eventually left to ruin.
The Arundells never rebuilt Wardour and instead constructed New Wardour Castle nearby. Old Wardour became a park with a lake and woodland, as well as the castle ruins.
It later became an English Heritage property, and it remains open to the public to explore.
The only way to reach Poenari Castle in Wallachia, central Romania, is to climb nearly 1,500 arduous steps. But what a view when you reach the top.
Originally built in the 13th century, it was the notorious Romanian king Vlad III Dracula, known as Vlad the Impaler, who realised the potential of the castle as a stronghold, with its altitude of more than 2,600 feet (800m).
The castle fell into disrepair after Vlad’s death, and it was in ruins by the 17th century. A landslide in 1888 and an earthquake in 1913 caused further damage but repairs were made.
Today, tourists are welcome – although the number of steps to the top puts off many would-be visitors.
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This 11th-century castle is visible for miles on its high vantage point overlooking the plains of Huesca, in Aragon, northern Spain. It was originally built to help conquer the then-Muslim area of Huesca but later was given over to Augustine monks who used it for seven centuries.
In the 19th century, the castle was used to store gunpowder and subsequently destroyed by an accidental explosion. It has laid in ruins ever since.
With its crumbling walls and vacant chapel and bell tower, the castle casts a ghostly shadow over the region.
Built high on a rocky outcrop west of Dublin, the ruins of Dunamase can be seen from miles around. The castle was built by the Normans in the 12th century and was an important stronghold.
From 1325 to 1609, Dunamase belonged to the O’Moore family of Laois and later passed to the Earl of Thomond. But the castle's downfall came after an invasion by Cromwell in 1650 and it was never rebuilt.
However, visitors today can still get a feel of its former grandeur.
Situated in the Les Trois-Moutiers region of western France, Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers dates from the 13th century. It was twice captured by the English in the Middle Ages and ransacked during the French revolution.
By 1870, Edgard Lejeune had begun renovations. But tragedy struck in 1932 when a fire destroyed the building, including a library of rare books, tapestries, furniture and priceless paintings.
However, that wasn’t the end for this exquisite château. In 2017, it was saved from demolition by the generosity of strangers.
In fact, nearly 28,000 people from across the world contributed to a crowdfunding campaign, which raised €1.6 million ($1.8m). Each contributor became a co-owner of the castle, which visitors can enjoy today.
Spiš Castle in eastern Slovakia seems to rise from the rocks on which it sits. The castle dates from the 12th century when the area was part of the Old Hungarian feudal state.
But in 1780, it was destroyed by fire and fell into ruin.
Covering nearly 10 acres, Spiš is one of Central Europe's largest castles. After World War II, it became the property of the Slovak state and restoration began in the 1970s.
In 1993, it was put on the UNESCO World Heritage list and today remains a top tourist attraction.
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Standing at an elevation of 4,790 feet (1,460m), Rocca Calascio is one of Italy’s highest fortifications. The castle rises above the village of Calascio in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region.
It was built in the 10th century (and later expanded) to offer the military a panoramic view of the surrounding area. The castle was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1703.
If Rocca Calascio looks familiar, it might be because it’s featured in several movies, including 1985’s Ladyhawke and more recently The American from 2010.
The location, nestled in the Apennine Mountains, certainly provides a dramatic backdrop. This is made even more picturesque by the nearby Santa Maria della Pietà church and the castle’s proximity to charming Calascio.
The ruins are open to the public daily and are free to enter. Visitors are advised to leave their car in the designated areas and climb up to the castle by foot (seasonal shuttle buses also run).
It’s a pretty robust one-mile (1.6km) hike, but well worth the effort. For a longer challenge, the route from Santo Stefano di Sessanio to Rocca Calascio is especially inspiring. The out-of-the way nature of the castle also means it’s less likely to be swamped with tourists.
Kilchurn Castle was built in the mid-1400s by the Campbells of Glenorchy, a family which dominated the central Highlands. Originally, it was constructed on an island not much bigger than the castle itself and was accessed by a causeway.
During the Jacobite uprising of the late 1600s, the castle was converted into a garrison stronghold and at one time could hold 200 troops.
Around 1760, lightning struck the castle, irrevocably damaging the building. It was abandoned and left to decay and fell into ruin.
After Kilchurn became derelict, it proved a popular stop on the tourist trail. Eventually, the structure was handed to Historic Environment Scotland and is preserved as a romantic relic on the Scottish landscape.
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