The Castles
Explore each castle’s role in Shakespeare’s life and the backstory that made it important for the play in which it appears. New castles added monthly.
Bristol Castle, May 2026
Explore the history of Bristol Castle, from Shakespeare’s Richard II. Learn the backstory of the castle and why it plays an important role in Shakespeare’s work.
Related Podcasts
Click the related podcast episode to learn from curators and historians working at the castles I illustrated.
Come inside Kronborg Castle, Known to Shakespeare as Elsinore
In 1605, a commemorative coin was struck in the Dutch Republic to honor the events of the Gunpowder Plot in England. This is that story.
Glamis Castle in Shakespeare’s Lifetime
Explore Shakespeare’s Glamis—royal power, ghostly legends, Renaissance grandeur, and the real castle that inspired Macbeth’s haunting tale.
Castles in Elizabethan England
Explore the real castles that show up in Shakespeare’s plays and the history that inspired Shakespeare to use them in his plays.
Ep 116: Pontefract Castle with Neil Redfern
Mary Queen if Scots was executed when Shakespeare was 23 years old. David Schajer shares her part in the life of William Shakespeare.
Ep 87: Philippa Brewell and Kenilworth Castle
Philip Henslowe’s diary is a window into the world of theater operations at The Globe, Rose, & Fortune theaters. Dr. Amy Lidster is here to take us inside.