Berkhamsted Castle was first built as a timber motte-and-bailey castle in the late 11th century. One of the most important early Norman castles, it controlled the northern approach to London, 30 miles away. Kept in royal hands, it was occupied by key figures of the Middle Ages, such as Thomas Becket, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, and the Black Prince. Much of its stone was plundered during the 16th century.