Britain’s top 10 castles

By Luke Turner

"An Englishman's home is his castle," or so the saying goes. Sadly most of us live in houses that'd look ridiculous with a moat, set of battlements and a portcullis, so we have to make do with visiting the relics of times past

Britain's turbulent yet proud history has been shaped by a bunch of power-hungry kings, barons and assorted nobles, all of whom needed to build themselves safe places to stay in those times when they weren't getting on terribly well. But you no longer need an invading army and a bunch of catapults to get inside the castle walls, as many have been turned into tourist attractions crammed with interactive exhibits to bring the past to life.

We take a look at some of Britain’s finest castles for a fun-filled day out, from the legendary home of King Arthur in Cornwall to Harry Potter’s hangout in Northumberland.