After the retreat of the French at the end of the Palatine War of Succession the castle fell into disrepair and was used by the populace as a quarry.

The history of Arras is closely linked with that of the German nation from the Roman period to the end of the Middle Ages. During the mass migration of 350 AD, the Western Empire emperor Magnentius set about building defences against the invading Franconians. This prompted the count Palatine from Lorraine to build Arras castle as protection of his large property on the Moselle. In 1105 the castle chapel dedicated to St. Lawrence was consecrated by the mighty archbishop Bruno. For more than 20 years he was the counsellor of the last Salian emperor Henry.

During struggle against the Anabaptists of Münster, The Elector of Trier and his family was granted the eternal right to live in the castle by a document which still today exists. In 1689 during the Palatine War of succession Arras was destroyed and all who lived in her expelled.

After the retreat of the French at the end of the Palatine War of Succession the castle fell into disrepair and was used by the populace as a quarry. Due to its thickness of four metres, the 1000 year old keep resited all efforts to dismantle it, is believed to be one of , if not, the oldest building between Koblenz and Trier.

Around the start of the 20th century a mining company directory by the name of Traugott Wilhelm Dykerhoff, from Herne started a restoration project to rebuild Arras Castle and today the visitor can see the results of his work. The castle also contains a museum and a memorial to the former Federal President Heinrich Lübke – a relative of today’s owners.

Before Williams’s death in 1087 he set about dividing his property amongst his three sons. William II received England, Robert got Normandy, and his third son, Henry got money.

During his reign William II was a very unpopular, greedy, self-centred monarch as well as being a poor administrator.

One of William’s many noticeable acts of greed was that upon the death of Archbishop Lanfranc died in 1089; he delayed choosing Lanfranc’s successor for four years.

Williams hunger for wealth was so intense that between the years of 1089 and the appointment of Archbishop Anselm in 1093 as Lanfranc’s successor, William had kept all revenues generated by the see of Canterbury for himself. When Anselm became Archbishop in 1093 he fought with William over the powers of church and lay courts.

William II's death is one of those moments in history that is still today surrounded by a veil of mystery. William was killed whilst out hunting in the New Forest reputedly by stepping in front of an arrow shot by one William Tyrrell. Tyrrell believing that his claim that the Kings death was an accident fled the forest and went into hiding. William's death left the throne to Robert, who was in Normandy at the time. Henry sensing an opportunity, seized the royal treasury at Westminster and proclaimed himself king of England. He later went on to defeat Robert at Tinchebray in 1106 and Robert spent the rest of his life in prison.

Henry I seemed to have made a much better king than his elder brother William. During his monarchy the royal administration was expanded and the rule of law solidified. The Court of the Exchequer (named after the checkered cloth or table on which the accounts were handled) was formed to handle financial matters.

One of the many ingenious ways Henry raised money was by selling charters to towns. These were special grants that enabled towns to build walls, raise local taxes and elect their own local administrators. During his reign, a new wave of religious settlements began, beginning in 1128 when the Cistercians arrived from France. Many of the great monasteries, now ruined, are from this time period.

During this period in history Norman French was spoken by the aristocracy, used as the official language of the court, schools and the law. It was not until the loss of Normandy in 1204 that the Normans began to learn English and a melding of the two languages began.

Next month - Stephen and Maud