The Castle as Icon: Landscapes of Status and Symbolism

This chapter points out that the ways contemporaries experienced the landscapes around them were influenced by the physical appearance of castles. Examples of landscapes created around castles date from the later medieval period, but landscapes with different connotations could be created by planning parks, settlements, roads around Norman castles. The iconic status of the castle was enhanced by the fact that sites of prior significance were occupied and rebuilt, symbolizing the continuity of power and lordship.