Berkshire, about north of the town of Newbury, lies the ruined medieval castle known as Donnington Castle. Before the castle came under royal hands during the Tudor era, Thomas Chaucer purchased it after Sir Richard Abberbury the Elder erected it in 1386. The royalist Sir John Boys occupied the castle during the First English Civil War, and it survived an 18-month siege. In 1646, Parliament decided to demolish Donnington Castle after the garrison finally gave up. The gatehouse is all that remain ... (Read More)