Siege of Kenilworth

The Siege of Kenilworth began on 25 June 1266 when Henry III’s forces attacked Kenilworth Castle, a principal stronghold of the surviving Montfortian resistance after Simon de Montfort’s death at Evesham. The large garrison, protected by formidable walls and water defences, resisted repeated bombardment and assault.

The siege lasted 172 days. During it the government issued the Dictum of Kenilworth, offering terms by which dispossessed rebels could recover their lands through financial penalties. Disease and dwindling supplies finally forced the garrison to surrender on 13 December, making Kenilworth one of the longest major sieges of medieval England.