Essex does not have the greatest reputation for castles in the UK. But I think that is a disservice to the county, it is unfair, historically inaccurate - rather like the movie Braveheart - and since the author of The Good Knight series grew up in the seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea I feel duty bound to correct this inaccuracy for his honour.

1066 was a rather big year for castles in England. Before this date there were four, maybe five, castles found in the whole country. By 1100, just thirty-four years later, there were over five hundred!