Henry II is often referred to as an Emperor as he ruled over much more than England, indeed it could be argued that his English estates were less important to him than his continental possessions. He was a man of huge energy and was constantly on the move, often not deciding on his itinerary till the last moment. Many houses and castles were therefore kept in a state of almost permanent readiness.
In the process of taking the castles from his barons, and bringing them under royal authority, he changed the nature of castle building. During his reign castles ceased to be the timber and earth structures of the early Norman period and became sophisticated and complex masonry structures. His masterpiece was unquestionably Dover which he transformed into one of the mightiest fortresses in Europe. At the centre of this was his own residence, the Great Tower, a magnificent and spacious royal residence on two floors. As restored recently it is one of the few places where you can experience the interior of a twelfth century royal home.
At the same time that military architecture flowered Henry had an eye to luxury and comfort in his domestic residences. During his reign a lesser chamber was added to the complex at Westminster Palace providing for greater comfort, and Clarendon and Woodstock were both embellished and extended. At Woodstock, in the 1170s, he commissioned a luxurious retreat at a distance from the main house for his mistress, Rosamund Clifford. Everswell, as it became known, was planned round a spring and three interconnecting pools. Clarendon and Woodstock were his favourite houses both sited in the middle of great hunting grounds.
We know that the interiors of his residences were enriched and decorated. The use of polished limestone to look like marble was adopted at Clarendon, for instance. At Westminster a Purbeck marble fountain and lavabo was erected near his privy lodgings.