by Jenni Horn

One of Medway's most famous landmarks was recreated in the Welsh countryside for an action movie.

Eagle-eyed historians will be keen to see how Rochester Castle looks on screen when the medieval thriller Ironclad is released next month.

The film is about the siege of the castle in 1215. It follows a band of tough, battle-hardened rebel warriors who defended the keep for several weeks.

It stars Brian Cox, as Baron Albany who leads the men, James Purefoy (pictured left) as a Templar knight and Paul Giamatti as King John.

Director Jonathan English said he was compelled to make the picture during a visit to Rochester Castle when he had some free time after finishing his last film.

He said: "It struck me immediately - it had a completely different atmosphere to any castle I had ever been to. Some castles are royal castles or follies for wealthy men.

"They're very pretty, they have moats, they show the wealth of the men who build them. Rochester feels like a building that was built for war.

"I started reading about the history of the castle and a particular battle that had taken place here - how an English King had besieged his own castle, how he'd hired this army of mercenaries and was taking back control of the country after signing the Magna Carta.

"And how a small group of knights - surviving on horse meat and water - held the castle against him.

"By this point, my mind was spinning. I think before I'd even left the building, I already had one of those moments where you go, 'Wow, that would make a really good movie."

The £20m project was shot in Wales, where a replica of Rochester Castle was built out of wood, metal and plastic over 12 weeks.

Production designer Joseph Nemec said the team carried out extensive research into architecture of the time but chose not to remain true to history in every aspect.

He said: "We discovered that all castles were covered in plaster and painted with a lime wash. So they all had white interior rooms, which is fascinating from a research point of view, but we realised that if we did that it would look like The Princess Diaries. We were making a movie about brutal medieval battles."