ON October 15, a talk on Dudley Castle was given by Adrian Durkin, of Dudley Museums, who began with the history and nature of castles in general.

Romantic pictures of castles in books and fairytales were untrue, as basically they were fortified residences, regarded as status symbols.

Their origin in this country lies with William the Conqueror, who after his conquest rewarded his military leaders with gifts of land and the benefits that came with them. Castles then became the focal point of an area. They would be built on a mound (motte) surrounded by a protective wall (bailey), with a strongly fortified entrance.

The main building would be the keep, or dongon, as the French named it, as the castle dungeon might be contained in one of the lower levels of the structure. Higher in the same building would be the living accommodation of the lord and his family.

Meals would be taken in a large hall, heated by a fire in the centre of the room and from a gallery, musicians would entertain the diners. Other buildings within the complex would include a chapel, stables and kitchen.

The history of Dudley Castle began in 1071. During its existence, many changes and additions were made to the building. Archaeological artists have produced pictorial reconstructions of what it may have originally looked like and as castles were built to a general plan, they are possibly reasonable reproductions of the early building.

Over the years, the castle suffered various calamities. At the instigation of Henry II, following a quarrel with the owner, it was virtually demolished. Therefore, much of what remains is later re-building. It was again damaged in the siege of 1644 during the Civil War and finally a serious fire in 1750 reduced it to its present state.

The next talk, on October 29, will be given by Nick McCoy, of West Mercia Police, on the subject of Scenes of Crime - Forensic Science.