Under Henry II, the Castle was totally
rebuilt, and the walls of the
inner
bailey and the eastern part of the
outer
curtain wall erected. Most impressive is the monumental
keep, built by Henry II's great architect, Maurice
the Engineer, in the 1180s, which stands at the heart
of a concentric ring of defences.
The keep was designed to serve many functions: as
a storeroom, occasional residence of the monarch and
his court, and perhaps most importantly, as a stronghold.
Throughout, the internal arrangement of the keep is
ingeniously designed. Its three-towered fore-building,
carrying the entry staircase and two chapels, is an
elaborate and magnificent approach to the main apartments.
The upper chapel, richly decorated and reserved for
the royal family's use, is especially fine. The former
royal apartments are still most impressive in their
monumental scale, despite having lost most of their
original decoration.
