Editing Kenilworth Castle (section)

===14th century===
[[File:Kenilworth castle keep and great hall.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The great tower (left) and John of Gaunt's great hall (right)]]
Edmund Crouchback passed on the castle to his eldest son, [[Thomas, Earl of Lancaster]], in 1298.<ref name=WeirP105>Weir, p.105.</ref> Lancaster married [[Alice de Lacy]], which made him the richest nobleman in England.<ref name=PoundsP137>Pounds, p.137.</ref> Kenilworth became the primary castle of the Lancaster estates, replacing [[Bolingbroke Castle|Bolingbroke]], and acted as both a social and a financial centre for Thomas.<ref name=PoundsP137/> Thomas built the first great hall at the castle from 1314 to 1317 and constructed the Water Tower along the outer bailey, as well as increasing the size of the chase.<ref>Morris 2010, p.14, 29; Thompson 1977, pp.211–8.</ref> Lancaster, with support from many of the other English barons, found himself in increasing opposition to [[Edward II]].<ref name=WeirP105/> War broke out in 1322, and Lancaster was captured at the [[Battle of Boroughbridge]] and executed.<ref name=WeirP105/> His estates, including Kenilworth, were confiscated by the crown.<ref name=PoundsP137/> Edward and his wife, [[Isabella of France]], spent Christmas 1323 at Kenilworth, amidst major celebrations.<ref>Weir, p.157.</ref>

In 1326, however, Edward was deposed by an alliance of Isabella and her lover, [[Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March|Roger Mortimer]]. Edward was eventually captured by Isabella's forces and the custody of the king was assigned to [[Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster|Henry, Earl of Lancaster]], who had backed Isabella's invasion.<ref>Weir, p.241.</ref> Henry, reoccupying most of the Lancaster lands, was made constable of Kenilworth and Edward was transported there in late 1326; Henry's legal title to the castle was finally confirmed the following year.<ref>Morris 2010, p.41; Weir, p.241.</ref> Kenilworth was chosen for this purpose by Isabella probably both because it was a major fortification, and also because of the symbolism of its former owners' links to popular ideals of freedom and good government.<ref>Weir, p.242.</ref> Royal [[writ]]s were issued in Edward's name by Isabella from Kenilworth until the next year.<ref>Weir, p.242; Mortimer, p.51.</ref> A deputation of leading barons led by [[Adam Orleton|Bishop Orleton]] was then sent to Kenilworth to first persuade Edward to resign and, when that failed, to inform him that he had been deposed as king.<ref>Weir, pp.252–3.</ref> Edward formally resigned as king in the great hall of the castle on 21 January 1327.<ref>Mortimer, p.53.</ref> As the months went by, however, it became clear that Kenilworth was proving a less than ideal location to imprison Edward.<ref name=DohertyPP1145>Doherty, pp.114–5.</ref> The castle was in a prominent part of the Midlands, in an area that held several nobles who still supported Edward and were believed to be trying to rescue him.<ref name=DohertyPP1145/> Henry's loyalty was also coming under question.<ref name=DohertyPP1145/> In due course, Isabella and Mortimer had Edward moved by night to [[Berkeley Castle]], where he died shortly afterwards.<ref>Doherty, pp.114–5; p.118.</ref> Isabella continued to use Kenilworth as a royal castle until her fall from power in 1330.<ref>Mortimer, p.75.</ref>

[[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster|Henry of Grosmont, the Duke of Lancaster]], inherited the castle from his father in 1345 and remodelled the great hall with a grander interior and roof.<ref>Morris 2010, p.14; Thompson 1977, pp.211–8.</ref> On his death [[Blanche of Lancaster]] inherited the castle. Blanche married [[John of Gaunt]], the third son of [[Edward III]]; their union, and combined resources, made John the second richest man in England next to the king himself.<ref name=PoundsP137/> After Blanche's death, John married [[Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster|Constance]], who had a claim to the [[kingdom of Castile]], and John styled himself the king of Castile and León.<ref name=PoundsP137/> Kenilworth was one of the most important of his thirty or more castles in England.<ref name=PoundsP137/> John began building at Kenilworth between 1373 and 1380 in a style designed to reinforce his royal claims in Iberia.<ref>Emery, p.205.</ref> John constructed a grander great hall, the Strong Tower, Saintlowe Tower, the state apartments and the new kitchen complex. He made these renovations before his nephew took over his position.<ref>Morris 2010, pp.42–5.</ref> When not campaigning abroad, John spent much of his time at Kenilworth and [[Leicester Castle|Leicester]], and used Kenilworth even more after 1395 when his health began to decline.<ref>Emery, p.28; Emery 2000, p.404.</ref> In his final years, John made extensive repairs to the whole of the castle complex.<ref name="Morris 2010, p.45.">Morris 2010, p.45.</ref>