Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. The Manor of Berkeley was once held by Earl Godwin, father of
King Harold II, but it was not until after the Norman Conquest that the first fortification was built here by
William FitzOsbern, Earl of Hereford. FitzOsbern built up the natural hill, surrounded it by a ditch and set
up a wooden stockade on the summit. The site was later granted to Robert Fitzharding, a wealthy merchant,
by King Henry II. It was Fitzharding who built the first stone keep at Berkeley, which was completed in
1153. King Edward II was murdered at Berkeley in 1327 shortly after being forced to abdicate. The
castle is still in the possession of the descendants of Robert Fitzharding.