Bodiam Castle, among the most famous abandoned castles in England, was built in 1385 by one of King Richard II's knights, who survived the age of the Black Death and was a contemporary of Chaucer. The castle was constructed for protection in battle, with thick armored walls, a portcullis and even a moat.

Yes, there are thousands of abandoned castles scattered across Europe and the Middle East in 2026, ranging from crumbling medieval ruins to overgrown 19th-century "follies." In countries like Ireland, Scotland, and Germany, you can find ruins every few miles that were abandoned due to war, the high cost of maintenance, or the extinction of noble lineages. Some of the most spectacular abandoned castles are found in the "Castles of the Loire" region in France or the "Burg" ruins of the Rhine Valley. In 2026, there is a massive subculture of "Urban Exploration" (Urbex) dedicated to finding these "forgotten" fortresses. However, a major "pro" tip is that even if a castle looks abandoned, it is almost always owned by a private estate or a government heritage body; "exploring" them without permission is technically trespassing and can be dangerous due to unstable masonry. Many of these abandoned sites are being cataloged by projects like "Castles of the World," which aims to preserve their history digitally even as the physical stones slowly return to the earth through natural decay.