Raglan Castle: The Rise and Fall of a Magnificent Welsh Fortress

Explore the magnificent Raglan Castle in Wales with Kevin Hicks. In this video, Kevin dives into the rich history of this stunning 15th-century fortress. From its grand towers to its intricate design, Raglan Castle stands as a testament to the grandeur and strategic importance of medieval and Tudor architecture. Discover what remains of this once grand castle, and its role in the English Civil War.
If you'd like to support the channel more and help us continue making fun, fascinating videos, please check out our PATREON page for perks / thehistorysquad
To visit Raglan Castle, check out their web page: cadw.gov.wales...
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IMAGE CREDITS:
Aerial video images: @TheyHadADay / @theyhadaday
Music intro: Sins of the Fathers by Deskant via Epidemic Sound www.epidemicso...
Illustrations by Ivan Lapper, with modifications © CADW
Box pew by Angelo Hornak via Alamy
Edward Somerset 2nd Marquis of Worcester © National Portrait Gallery, London

[@mr31337]

Kevin, your models have got a lot bigger! Amazing, so realistic. 🏰

[@Ian-mj4pt]

😅😅

[@krisfinley6706]

He's really outdone himself this time 😂

[@user-eg7uw9ls4o]

😀👍

[@thehistorysquad]

😂 Getting it out of the spare room was a bit of a challenge 😜

[@420alphaomega]

"It's only a model"

[@andrewratcliffe6425]

Hi Kevin, thank you for another absolute Gem of a short film. Im retired ex military myself, i find your channel and content fascinating and very well put together. And i must say, your humble, loyal wife, has done your channel proud with the quality of the filming. You have both ignited a lost passion i have for this kind of history. Its clear to see you have a great passion for this particular subject, and your particular way of teaching us these things is very infectious. Thank you sir. A genuine national treasure in my humble opinion. Thank you Mr and Mrs Higgs.

[@ldavid2528]

Very well said!

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers Andrew, that's very kind of you to say. Julie thanks you too 😉

[@taranullius9221]

She does such a great job. Kev is just adorable. I've adopted them as my history grandparents.

[@crystalclear6864]

Was also thinking the filming is well done and edited.

[@crystalclear6864]

Thanks for your service also Andrew❤

[@aaronmcconnell7358]

I was pleasantly surprised to be watching a episode of "River hunnter's" and there is Mr Hicks helping out with some muskets it made my day.

[@thehistorysquad]

😂 That's cool, I don't remember that one.

[@egallagher41]

Thank you Kevin, there are few people who can take an (impressive) old ruin add some words and make of it a skeleton of a home, then take those same bare bones and make them into a place where a family lived and a community worked and all with no gimmicks or graphics using only a great voice with a wonderful passion, knowledge, and love, of history. To anyone who meets you sir I would ask them to thank you on my behalf, for you are an entertainer and a man of history.

[@thehistorysquad]

How very kind of you, thank you.

[@user-je3to1lp4x]

This is the part of history that I love learning about. We not only see beautiful places but also have an insight into the people. Very well done sir

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks for the visit 👍🏻

[@MrHarrytheJew]

I was literally just thinking it would be excellent to enjoy one of Kevin’ amazing castle tours this evening. Well what do we have here!!!

[@Ian-mj4pt]

Absolutely love them as he really makes it interesting 👍

[@thehistorysquad]

Enjoy!

[@Vortimar]

No one does it as good as Kevin!

[@duhquadman]

Oh wow! Im from Virginia and visited this amazing castle during my trip to Wales earlier this year! Although the castles are grand, the most wonderful part of my vacation was being able to track down the farmhouse my ancestors lived in before they moved to Ohio in 1736

[@thehistorysquad]

So cool!

[@jodieg6318]

What I love so much about Medieval castles, towns, and dwellings in general is shows how much people lived together. We have to be in our modern society, the most indivually isolated people have ever been. All the people that worked and lived in a castle (or anywhere else) would have been co-mingling, working, arguing, and relaxing together nearly all their lives. It's honestly one of things that makes me sad when I look ruins, not just the destruction from all the wars and the loss of history, but what we seem to have lost socially from how we used to live, we still have some of it, just not as much. All those things like companionship, romantic and platonic, working together and famial ties that still make life worth living.

[@thehistorysquad]

Hi Jodie, thanks for that lovely comment and yes, I'd agree. I blame it on the industrialisation of the world, where profits aren't shared downwards, they only go up. Enjoy Alice tonight!! I can't believe he's still going 😉

[@jodieg6318]

@@thehistorysquad Thanks Kev! It's gonna be fun, even if we aren't worthy! 🤣I just hope were all in as good shape at 76!

[@laurieleannie]

What a beautiful castle and I just love how you bring them back to life!

[@benvincent6747]

Kevin, you are so good at what you do. Worth my time every time. Thank you

[@thehistorysquad]

I really appreciate that!

[@f1shze4lot]

Hexagonal tower design is the most pleasing to look at, beautiful castle

[@chriscookesuffolk]

I'm a circular tower man all the way but I respect your hexagonal opinion. Probably because I drew them round as a kid :)

[@Libertaro-i2u]

CGP Grey did coin the phrase "hexagons are the bestagons"

[@JohnWilliams-fk3hb]

Brilliant video local lad only 10 minutes away from the castle. It was my routine trip when I was a child. Seen the majority of castles in Wales now this was my first.

[@roydonovan9063]

Keep these videos coming Kev you legend.

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@alancoe1002]

Henry Tudor was raised here, as the ward of Sir William Herbert, who had also been given Henry's uncle Jasper Tudor's earldom of Pembroke. This is probably where Henry began much of what structured education that he would have. Concurrently, William Herbert's illegitimate son, and also the young Earl of Northumberland, both of whom would later be in the Battle of Bosworth, were also wards at Raglan. Henry would serve as William Herbert's squire at the disastrous battle of Edgecote, where William was captured by Warwick and executed without trial, along with his brother Richard. Henry barely escaped the field, and bore news of the disaster to Lady Herbert. At some point after this, Jasper Tudor retrieved his nephew from his wardship with the Herberts, and eventually into long exile. Raglan had been Henry's home for seven years. Thanks for this episode, Kevin!

[@thehistorysquad]

A pleasure and thanks for that additional information…..the Wars of the Roses are yet to come 👍

[@Dickens76]

Beautiful castle, and that is a majestic hoodie you have on sir!

[@thehistorysquad]

Indeed it is! 😜

[@Sean12248]

Kevin always goes to the best places!!!!!!

[@laurabrowning7973]

Thank you for sharing this with us, explaining the architectural designs, and helping us to imagine what it must have looked like once upon a time. So sad, all of that destruction...Thank you again!

[@TheCptkrunch13]

Perfect way to unwind after a long day of working in the heat is cracking a cold one and watching these videos.

[@thehistorysquad]

Perfect!

[@shonamcwilliam2842]

How many times am i going to watch this. Kevin has more info & is a better guide than ptoffesional castle guides.

[@thehistorysquad]

Awe, thanks 😊

[@Ian-mj4pt]

Oh wow another great video from you Kevin. Really makes my day when you do castles and old houses. Thank you so much Kevin and Co ❤

[@thehistorysquad]

Our pleasure, thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@Libertaro-i2u]

​@@thehistorysquad Next time you're in America,how about taking a tour of Biltmore Mansion, Hearst Castle, Breakers Palace, Marble Mansion, etc? These residences managed to replicate the charm and styles of the old world palaces and castles while also mixing in the latest conveniences, comforts and amenities available during the era in which they were built.

[@ianthomas739]

Kevin was obviously enjoying himself showing us around this magnificent castle and I'm sure anyone viewing this did too. Thanks for the tour Kevin

[@thehistorysquad]

It was all my pleasure 😜

[@BMO_Creative]

Very cool tour! It's so amazing the construction, and too bad it's now a ruin.

[@capnkit]

Had the great honour of camping out there a few years back for a "pirate invasion". Wonderful structure and beautiful scenery, thankyou for bringing back some happy memories.

[@senseipaans]

Just imagining the inside of the castle walls during attack is enough to write a million stories. The people, the situation, the life stories. So so unfortunate that we DON'T kNOW the exacts circimstances through the ages.

[@ldavid2528]

Lovely thoughts! I would like to hear/read stories like that.

[@96BxelA]

@@ldavid2528 I was thinking what a privilege it would be to have the imagination to create such stories and of course, to read them too!

[@arthurdoucette1786]

Greetings once again from Nova Scotia, thanks for a very enjoyable video. I have, for as long as I can remember, I have always loved castles, every thing about them. Just an awesome video, what a way to start my day, cheers. Be safe, keep the great stories coming, and have a great weekend. Best regards, Arthur

[@thehistorysquad]

How lovely, thanks as ever Arthur. You have a great weekend too. 👍🏻

[@Valkanna.Nublet]

I grew up in Caldicot, Gwent and it was nice having so many cool castles nearby. I spent many afternoons playing around in the grounds of Caldicot castle.

[@phaedrapage4217]

What a wonderful, idyllic childhood! I envy the spectacular make believe that would be sparked by playing in actual castles! The fairy tales of imagination...

[@Valkanna.Nublet]

@@phaedrapage4217 I do feel that I was lucky. Not only living next to an old castle, but one with large open fields around it. Plenty of places to have fun, including tree climbing, slope sliding, rope swings set up that dangled you over the ditch that pretended to be a moat. We also has the May Day Spectacular (that was actually its name) when the fields were filled with fairground, market stalls, DJ and music, fun things like that.

[@TracyH775]

What beautiful views! This castle really would have been something else if it were perserved! Great tour thank you ❤

[@barrydevonshire9749]

I visited Ragland Castle on a school trip back in the 1970s . It gave me an interest in history I have always had. . thanks Kevin

[@thehistorysquad]

My pleasure.

[@marvrogers9540]

I love Raglan. Been there many many times when we would family holiday up the road. Thanks Kevin for this trip down memory lane

[@MauriceDunstan]

I lived and ran a pub in Raglan for around 3 years in the 00's.

[@marvrogers9540]

@@MauriceDunstan we used to stay at Clytha Castle, a lovely Landmark Trust property up the road. Probably stayed there twenty times since we first went in 1981. I love that part of the world and I'd probably bet that with you being a publican we would more than likely have crossed paths at some point too lol

[@gfreeman9843]

Great tour Kevin..and saved me the cost of international travel,..and admission.😊😊😊 Regards

[@thehistorysquad]

😂

[@darreno9874]

It's well worth the entrance fee should you ever be in the UK.

[@senb01]

Brilliant video thank you I was really interested in everything you told us

[@darreno9874]

Thanks Kevin Raglan is one of my favourite castles, along with Harlech, Castell y bere, Kenilworth and Warwick. God bless you

[@tblack7191]

Kevin, your castle videos are top notch. More of them please!!!!

[@22mm44]

Mr. Hicks, as predicted, I have lured my dad into the addiction of watching your amazing videos 😂 (he was the one who introduced me into history stuff, what can I do 🤷🏻‍♀️😅) he is so happy he can watch them with Spanish captions. We love you and your videos!

[@thehistorysquad]

Ah, how wonderful and with the wonders of modern technology! Thank you 👍🏻

[@Sol-Cutta]

Been saving this...gonna keep another week...this are some of my favourites..so instead i watched an older one...looking forward to this..🙏🙏🙏

[@thehistorysquad]

Awesome, thank you!

[@nucavani]

LOVE THESE KIND OF WALKS AND HYSTORY TELLING ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ IN GREAT CASTLES 🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉

[@davidcreager1945]

Thank You for a wonderful tour Kevin ! It's such an impressive and imposing castle , it must have been even more so back in the day ! The engineering that went into this castle is nothing short of impressive. 🇺🇲 / 🇬🇧

[@legus9684]

Kevin in castles has to be some of my favorite content from this channel. Very interesting and informative inputs, too, it's always a delight to watch. Thank you, Kev!

[@thehistorysquad]

My pleasure

[@exsubmariner]

It's a fact that most damage occurred to these ancient castles were by farmers in the 19th century. The stones were,(Robbed )recycled into stone walls in the surrounding countryside

[@bobbelcher678]

Same thing happened with the Great Wall of China, farmers and those living in areas where the wall is secluded started taking stones from the wall to build their houses.

[@exsubmariner]

@@bobbelcher678 probably the only thing that China made that lasted long enough to be reused

[@lemming9984]

@@exsubmariner 🤣 true!

[@b62boom1]

Stone from Hadrian"s Wall is in most of the old houses along the wall. They treated these places as a quarry for all sorts of building work. Piles of already shaped and faced stone aren't going to be ignored. If it was there that just used it. I can't blame them!

[@exsubmariner]

@@b62boom1 with good marketing and provenance you could easily sell one of these houses listed as," Hadrian's house " to some gullible American

[@phaedrapage4217]

You chose a beautiful day to film. Seeing the bits of blue sky through the big fluffy clouds looking up through the ruins is dreamy. ❤

[@thehistorysquad]

We were very lucky

[@Wendy-bd9zu]

I streamed this video and watch it on my big television, it was like i was there, i could imagine how it used to look back then. Thank you very much. And the view from above, so glad that it is still green around it. Beautiful!! ❤ Greetings from the Netherlands!

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks Wendy, glad you enjoyed our visit 👍🏻

[@seakr9838]

Very enjoyable and informative, thank you.

[@traciewinn8919]

We love Castles, we were travelling home to Wales from a road trip that we do often, hubby spotted this castle and we had to call in, amazing history, Wales has some beautiful castles, some are still intact, some are ruins, some don't even exist anymore and are just a mound, when you know the history it makes it so much more interesting, I love history, especially Welsh history, love your video, thank you xx

[@kristopherpoulsen653]

I love the castle tours the most. Thanks for doing these.

[@oneworldawakening]

I agree, the destruction caused by war is tragic. Thanks for the superb tour!

[@88hocuspocus]

Absolutely love Raglan Castle....Nice one Kevin!

[@cindys.9688]

Absolutely breathtaking!🤩 Kevin, you are the perfect🥇host, historian, and creative genius and you make your channel SO much fun to watch. I highly admire the builders of these castles. The masons, carpenters, stone collectors, engineers, and designers. Can't forget the men with the muscles whose brute strength managed to get EACH stone in place. Mostly via pulley I'm guessing, but also wagon and wheelbarrow, too. Then you have the iron workers who made the brackets, latches, chains, locks, keys, etc. There had to have been a zillion people working on it in different stages. And they created a masterpiece!💎

[@thehistorysquad]

They certainly did, thanks Cindy!

[@rickrivethead]

I Love Raglan, it differs from the other castle designs in Wales with its angular style. Very unique!

[@seanc4907]

10 out of 10 presentation, we always learn so much from these videos.

[@thehistorysquad]

Great to hear, thanks!

[@jaredticer6255]

England and Wales have many of my very favorite castles. Raglan castle is as stunningly beautiful as it is immensely fortified. Thanks for another great video :)

[@ellen4956]

I love the castle tours you post for us here! Thanks very much!

[@svenhillring3275]

Kevin, your wife and you are absolutely lovely for all your hard work. As a US Civil War, Span Am, WWI, WWII, Korean War and Vietnam living historian (and reenactor when I can get to an event) I appreciate your content. I'm a model builder too!

[@thehistorysquad]

That’s so nice of you Sven, thank you

[@PinnedonPlaces]

Thank you Kevin, a masterpiece! Love Raglan Castle, it is actually in my Top 5 of Castles of the UK, just an awe inspiring site. Thank you again, very inspiring!

[@thehistorysquad]

My pleasure

[@puddysue]

Kevin, this castle would leave people awestruck, just simply walking through it. But your fascinating details and history make it an absolute adventure! I always love your videos!

[@thehistorysquad]

Excellent, thanks

[@fernandoPessoa8]

"A dog running in a little wheel" for an Ox! My dear, how I love this channel! Wonderful

[@heatherwade2373]

Thank you, Kevin. You take me to places I could never go.

[@thehistorysquad]

My pleasure 👍🏻

[@Dryghtendanitsu]

Everyone hurry, professor Hicks is taking us on another school trip!! Real talk, love your videos I aspire to teach history half as well as you do, keep up the great videos sir!

[@thehistorysquad]

I appreciate that, thanks

[@steakeater4018]

As an American, I really appreciate you taking us on these wonderful ruin and castles tours. We have great stuff here in the states too, but nothing compared to all the rich history of Europe and the rest of the world. Thanks a million, Kevin 🇺🇸

[@thehistorysquad]

My pleasure 👍

[@nelsonbailey310]

Thank you Kevin and love one's for what your doing

[@allanburt5250]

Enjoyed that one Kevin. I passed there a long time ago, when taking a few days looking around Wales. Following a course at Dering Lines.

[@kadoj]

Brilliant, as always Kev. Thanks!

[@petermurphy7627]

I remember visiting back in the 60’s as part of my school trips from Gloucester.

[@NickNam3]

What a beautiful castle and video, thank you!

[@brightantwerp]

You make history come to life.

[@davidstrother496]

Thanks, Kevin, for the very interesting and informative tour. Cheers from Texas.

[@thehistorysquad]

No worries! Have a great weekend 👍🏻

[@HobbiesHobo]

Excellent video Kevin, Thanks for showing us, MIke.

[@thehistorysquad]

You bet

[@Odin029]

I had a history professor say something similar about calling that the English Civil War. His reason was that when historians wrote about it later, to them the English were the only ones who mattered, and now we're stuck with the name.

[@Calum_S]

Some people now call it the war of the three kingdoms.

[@fionahireland]

Thrilled to see another castle tour video!!!!

[@thehistorysquad]

Us too!

[@zweispurmopped]

What a beauty that castle must have been in its glory days! Great tour, many thanks! 🤗

[@simonjones4055]

Thank you Kev for another awesome video ❤. Back in Wales Hahaha so many castles here. My favourite is Castell Coch. Awesome camera work too really get a sense of scale of the place😊.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks, and Julie thanks you too! All the best.

[@kikikaakau-delizo8152]

I absolutely LOVE castles and the skill involved in their design and building! Well done, sir!❤

[@Vortimar]

I absolutely love these castle tours, they are what keep me engaged with this channel. Please oh please keep doing them, they truly stimulate the imagination, thinking of the people that once lived before us and the lives they lived

[@thehistorysquad]

We will!

[@ruperterskin2117]

Appreciate ya. Thanks for sharing.

[@imarakashagama599]

You are right Mr. Hicks. My mind is blown. Blessings.

[@thehistorysquad]

😜

[@bobbypugh2666]

Wonderful! As always. The small details and the day to day life that these folks lived is my favorite part. Thank you so much! Cheers

[@thehistorysquad]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@welshparamedic]

Thanks Kevin, Although Chepstow is my Favourite Castle in Todays 'Gwent' I do also like Raglan too. in fact my brother has a small factory unit in Raglan itself. It's nice to see you back in South Wales checking over some of our beautiful Castles, maybe Caerphilly, Skenfrith, Grosmont and White Castle. Caerphilly having the second largest Fortifications in the UK basically around it's large water defences with it's large moats etc. Second, after Windsor! Be great if you could review these as your presentations on medieval topics are first class! Once again Thankyou Kevin for a really enjoyable video.

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers mate, we were there back in May and did cover the 3 Castles, Julie is yet to edit them. 👍

[@grimjim666]

Marvelous! Always enjoy a Castle tour!

[@christinamangelo]

You are amazing Kevin you bring it back to life so beautifully you do you home work so well l appreciate all you do for us lovers of history from Australia.

[@lifagrass]

1 of the very BEST Castle tour videos ive seen in a long time!! The information about what the rooms were and might've looked like, the people who lived ans visited there and everything about your presentation was fantastic! You brought the castle and its inhabitants back to life before our very eyes! And the camarawork was wonderful! Thank you SO MUCH, enjoyed every second of this video!! ❤

[@thehistorysquad]

Wow, thank you! I’m so glad

[@angelpjc]

Thank you! One of the best history channels. 🤩🥰 Well wishes from Austin, Texas

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers 👍

[@sanctum4789]

AWESOME VIDEO, loved that you even looked under the fireplace that was placed beneath the window! So cool.

[@charleneblake1146]

I would love to go back time and see that castle as it once was!!! It must have been magnificent ❤

[@alexanderoverchenko5770]

Without your channel I would never visit this amasing castle. Thank you very much for the excursion.

[@thehistorysquad]

My pleasure 😊

[@user-to9ge8ii9n]

Lovely video, thanks for sharing. ❤

[@michaelkeller5008]

thanks for the tour, kevin!

[@davidd6171]

What a wonderful video! That fortress is really impressive! Thanks again Kevin!

[@chriscookesuffolk]

As far as I'm concerned the weekend starts with Kevs Friday upload.

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers Chris! Much appreciated 👍🏻

[@wolfgangholtzclaw2637]

Thank You very much Kevin, your castle tours are so enlightening. I visited many in Germany as a GI in the day. Your insights now explain many things that were a mystery to me. My first Castle, soon after I arrived was the castle Berg Hohenzollern. Later I visited Heidelberg. Your details, like little things about the sanitation facilities and then considering how many persons might be hold up in the castle during a siege kind of gives you an idea of how dreary and unsanitary it must have been. Keep up the good work.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thanks, will do

[@420alphaomega]

Another great castle kevin video

[@thehistorysquad]

More to come!

[@shadowcrusader2283]

Love your Tours as much as I do your models.

[@OGdirty1Kanobi]

Love exploring new castles with Kevin

[@LandYacht]

Excellent work. Much appreciated sir!

[@tomtaylor6163]

Excellent piece there Hickey. Keep up the good work!

[@thehistorysquad]

😜 Thanks, will do!

[@DoomWalker42]

What a magnificent castle!

[@GreatWestern175]

I visited Raglan Castle in 2015 during a pirate festival event there. I knew the castle like many has an interesting history, but as much as what you put here. Thanks for providing them detailed infos about this great awesome castle and it's history.

[@timwright5466]

A great tour ..thank you

[@chonconnor6144]

Must be exciting to see the real thing up close, so many details are really only appreciated in person.

[@dganim9196]

Wow Kevin, An amazing tour and lesson. Imagine how long it took for someone to design something like this and work out the logistics of it all. Truly amazing. Great education and production value from both you and Julie. Thankyou.

[@thehistorysquad]

Thank Daryl 👍

[@georgejohnson1498]

What a wonderful vid! Best wqiohesz from George in Herefordshire!

[@thehistorysquad]

Cheers George!

[@rosstylor8953]

South Wales. Wow. Thanks for the guided tour Kevin. I have never been there but sure look forward to it now.