The Fortress cover art

The Fortress

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Fortress

By: Hugh Walpole Peter
Narrated by: Peter Newcombe Joyce
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £23.99

Buy Now for £23.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Walter Herries establishes himself in Keswick and constructs an imposing property overlooking Uldale, further encroaching upon the peaceful lives of Jennifer and the children. Adam resolves to pursue a career in London, much to his mother's displeasure. He meets the Chartist campaigner Caesar Kraft and lives with him and his daughter Margaret.

On a visit to the capital, Elizabeth Herries chooses the opportunity to escape from her unhappy life, but is finally pursued by John. Uhland Herrries' obsession with and hatred of John Herries grows amidst self-contempt and scorn for his father. The eagerly awaited Chartist procession comes to a tragic end for both Adam and Margaret while the confrontation that Uhland desires and John dreads comes to reality and will scar the family for the next 30 years.

Speculation that Judith will reach her 100th birthday is rife, but the feud still exists, and the attitude of the younger generation seems to predict that it may continue as devil-may-care Benjamin - son of Elizabeth and John - and Ellis - Will's boy, and unable to connect with his emotions - meet in London. Meanwhile, the beautiful, tempestuous and determined Vanessa grows to maturity in Cumberland.

Public Domain (P)2013 Assembled Stories
Classics Fiction Historical Fiction England

Listeners also enjoyed...

Rogue Herries cover art
All Souls' Night cover art
John Halifax, Gentleman cover art
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens cover art
The Dark Flower cover art
Valhalla cover art
The Duel and Other Stories cover art
David Copperfield cover art
The Lady with the Dog & Other Stories (AmazonClassics Edition) cover art
The Crowded Street cover art
The Forsyte Saga cover art
A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings cover art
Little Lord Fauntleroy cover art
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: A Radio Dramatization cover art
Anne of Green Gables cover art
Shirley cover art

Critic reviews

"Joyce gives all Walpole's drama an extra indelible dimension. Joyce tempers his voice not merely to produce a vast panoply of emotions, but also to convey the maturing of a character." (The Spectator)
No reviews yet