В колонках уже который час играет одна и та же песня.А в голове вертятся строчки "Полковнику никто непиишет, полковника никто не ждееет".Классический депресняк.Но...мне уже лучше.В конце концов, во всем есть плюсы.Даже в одиночестве.А пока....
C A S T L E S O F E N G L A N D

Britain is full of ruins of castles, which were built many centuries ago with her existence. Castles are the monuments of a remarkable past, a lengthy heritage etched in stone, with the blood and sweat of those who built, fought and died in their shadow.
The castles that we are going to speak about are built between the 11th and 16th centuries in Great Britain.
These castles were defensive, designed to protect the Norman families who were granted the land by William the Conqueror.
For first time castles built from wood, but, as they were vulnerable to fire, quite soon the King insisted that they be built of stone. One of the first of these was the White Tower in the center of the Tower of London.
In the North of England the castles remained strong and well defended until in 16th century.
The most famous castles Dover, Warwick, and Leeds are well – known for their glorious history.

Dover
Castle of Dover is situated in Kent in the South – Eastern part of England. Dover Castle has thick the most massive tower in Britain, an almost 100–foot cube with walls. Overlooking Dover Harbor, the shortest sea–route to the Continent it blocked the way of anybody trying to invade England.
The next castle I’m going to speak about is

Warwick Castle
It’s situated in Warwick Country. Warwick Castle was founded in 1068 and was rebuilt and updated a number of times. Today it combines castle ruins, with the one of finest great houses in England. Warwick Castle rises like a precipice above the River Avon. It includes the great hall and a range of other buildings on the south–east, a water–gate, and a very tall tower known as Guy’s Tower, which is 39.4 meters tall. The tower which is 45.2 meters tall called Caesar’s Tower. The three main storeys in the tower have stone places.

Leeds Castle
Location: Kent. Leeds Castle is known as the most romantic castle in England, it is located in south–east England, built on two islands in the river Len.
Leeds Castle was originally a manor of the Saxon royal family in the 9th century.
In 1278 the castle came into the possession of Edward I. He rebuilt much of the castle. The gatehouses at the south–west, a single tower were improved.
Henry VIII, the most famous of all the owners of Leeds Castle, carefully retained the defenses of the castle.
Leeds has been constantly inhabited and rebuilt since then. Most of the castle today is the result of the nineteenth–century reconstruction and addition.

Medieval siege
There were three ways to take a castle. The first is to avoid the castle and seize the lands around it. The second is direct assault. The last is besieging.

Castles with ghosts
What story would be complete without a haunted castle? Here are some of the castles that are reportedly haunted in England.
Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon Said to be haunted by the daughter of a wicked baron.
Dover Castle, Kent Dover Castle is associated with numerous ghosts and strange sounds.
Featherstone Castle, Northumberland The castle is associated with a ghostly bridal party.
Tower of London It famous for it’s “a shadowy bear walking up the stairs in the twilight”.
Windsor Castle, Berkshire Queen Elizabeth I ghost has been seen in the library.

Conclusion
All through their history castles attracted a lot of people who were astounded with the mysteries and beauty of the ages. The castles allow us to get acquainted with historical and cultural heritage of England. So visiting them you have an unforgettable opportunity to be closer to the history of Great Britain and touch it with your own hands.
Текст моей защиты, над напечатанием которого я вчера убивалась весь вечер.