Historic Places in Somerset and Dorset

Cary Castle stood on Lodge Hill overlooking the town of Castle Cary in Somerset. Only the earthworks of the motte and bailey castle now remain. Some of the stonework of the castle was used in the buildings of the town. The motte and bailey castle was built after the Norman conquest either by Walter of Douai or by the following owners, the Perceval family. It was besieged by King Stephen in 1138, and again in 1153. The castle was abandoned by 1468 when owners moved to a manor house which was built beside it. The site was excavated in 1890, revealing the foundations of a square tower.

Christchurch Castle is located in Christchurch, Dorset, England. The castle was originally known as Twynham Castle. Part of the keep walls remain surrounded by a rectangular moat. There is a ruined Norman domestic dwelling, known as the Constable's House, built within the original castle bailey in 1160. Most of the stonework survives, including a rare example of a Norman Chimney. Christchurch Castle was built as a Norman motte and bailey castle around 1100 by Richard de Redvers, cousin of Henry I. The keep was thee storeys high with nine feet thick walls, and was probably added around 1300. The castle was besieged in 1147 during the war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda. During the English Civil War, the castle was a Royalist stronghold, and was destroyed after the war by Parliamentarian troops about 1652. The castle is now in ruins. Christchurch Castle Christchurch Castle Christchurch Castle

Corfe Castle rises from a natural chalk and limestone hill in the Purbeck Hills of Dorset, commanding the only gap through the ridge and occupying a position of strategic importance that has been fortified for over a thousand years. The dramatic and atmospheric ruins visible today, with their shattered walls and towers tilted at impossible angles of arrested collapse, are the result of a deliberate slighting ordered by Parliament after the Civil War siege of 1646, the explosions and subsequent dismantling leaving the fabric in permanent ruin. The result is one of the most evocative castle landscapes in England, a ruin whose broken profile communicates both the grandeur of the original building and the violence of its deliberate destruction. The castle had a long and sometimes dark history before its Civil War end. King Edward the Martyr was murdered here in 978, securing the throne for his half-brother Aethelred the Unready. King John used the castle as a prison and is said to have starved twenty-two French knights to death in the dungeons in 1203. The castle served as a key element in the royal control of the Purbeck stone quarrying industry, which produced the dark limestone used for decorative work in medieval churches and cathedrals across England and made this corner of Dorset economically significant far beyond its size. The Civil War siege is Corfe's most celebrated episode. Lady Mary Bankes defended the castle against Parliamentarian forces for nearly two years while her husband was away with the Royalist army, her resistance becoming one of the celebrated loyalist stories of the conflict. The castle fell only through treachery in 1646 and was ordered demolished shortly after, Lady Bankes keeping its keys until her death as a symbol of rightful ownership. The keys are preserved to this day at the family estate of Kingston Lacy. The village of Corfe Castle below the hill, its stone cottages arranged around the castle's commanding presence, is one of the most attractive in Dorset.

Set on a wooded hilltop within the Exmoor National Park, Dunster Castle has sweeping views over the Bristol Channel and is situated on the outskirts of the town of Dunster The castle is set in beautiful park and woodland surroundings on the side of a river. The castle's defensive walls were demolished long ago but visitors can see a medieval gatehouse, a ruined tower, an octagonal summerhouse at the highest point of the site and a Mediterranean garden terrace. The main castellated building has both Jacobean and Victorian facades and is built over four floors of a light and red coloured stone. The interiors feature ornate plasterwork ceilings, fine furniture and paintings. Facilities The park and garden are open to the public every day throughout the year (except Christmas) and the castle everyday except Thursday between mid March and the end of October between 11am and 5pm. The castle offers guided tours of the attic and basement areas which are not normally available for visitors for an extra charge and by reservation only; there is also a National Trust gift shop on site. Throughout the year on Fridays and Saturdays couples whishing to tie the knot can do so at a Civil ceremony in either the Tenants Hall which is located in the upper storey of the gatehouse or between November and February in the Inner and Outer halls. The Tenants Hall with its Tudor windows is an ideal summer wedding venue seating up to 60 guests with romantic lighting from its impressive chandeliers. The Inner and Outer Halls can seat up to 80 guests with the bride making a grand entrance down the 17th century staircase. In 1066 William The Conqueror granted the castle; which was already built on the site, to William de Mohun. The family remained at the castle until it was sold to Lady Elizabeth Luttrell in 1376 whose descendents remained there until 1976. The property was in a poor state of repair when it was inherited by Sir George Luttrell in 1571 as the family had not lived there for many years, so in 1617 employed architect William Arnold to build a new house in the lower ward of the castle. During the civil war the castle was surrendered to the parliamentarian forces who subsequently demolished the defensive walls leaving just parts of two towers and the gatehouse. During the following centuries and in particular between 1862 and 1872 the castle was restored, remodeled and added too with a landscaped park, follies, terraced garden and the addition of a fine oak staircase and plasterwork ceilings. In 1976 Sir Walter Luttrell gave the castle and much of its contents over to the National Trust.

The castle is located in the village of Farleigh Hungerford, 9 miles from the city of Bath on the Wiltshire Somerset border. Today's castle is surrounded by a dry moat and sections of curtain wall with two of the original four towers; the south west tower still standing at it's near original height of five floors and the tower to the south east only three floors. Visitors can also see the foundations of the manor house with an inner gate, and a chapel with original 15th century wall paintings. Across the road from the castle; although once within the castle's outer walls is the parish church of St. Leonard. Facilities Tales of the castle's past and family history are told on a free audio tour and interpretation panels. Visitors can also take part in guided tours (subject to minimum and maximum numbers) outlining the castle's troubled past and the unfortunate lives of some of its occupants. The tours also unlock hidden treasures, rare wall paintings and death masks. The castle is open daily between April and October from 10am and between November and March at weekends only, a shop and refreshments are also available on the site. Farleigh Hungerford Castle is also know as Farleigh Castle or Farley Castle. The original building on the site was called Farley Montfort Manor House, overlooking the River Froome it was built in the 14th century for the for the Montfort family. They sold the castle to Sir Thomas Hungerford after the Norman Conquest and its name changed to Farley Hungerford. The four towers; reaching over sixty feet tall, were crenellated and the house fortified by Hungerford in the 1370's, he also added a moat with drawbridge, high walls and two gatehouses. In 1420 a barbican and a polygonal court were also added, as well as an outer court enclosing the parish church by his son Sir Walter Hungerford. The castle was then gifted and handed down and eventually ended up back in the hands of another Walter Hungerford, grandson of Robert. Walter committed treason against Henry VII which resulted in his execution and the castle once again came into the hands of the monarchy who sold it in 1544 to Walter's son Edward. After this time the castle had many different owners and it suffered greatly at their hands. The majority of the wood paneling, beams and stone were removed to build other properties. What remained of the castle was finally purchased by Earl Cairns who donated it to English Heritage who now manage the site.

The castle is situated in the heart of Dorset between Bournemouth and Weymouth, 2 miles from Tyneham on the south west coast of England. Set in a beautiful parkland estate with views of the English Channel, the restored castle is square in shape with circular towers at each corner. The crenellated castle is built of light colored stone and has been given a new roof following a fire. The grounds also contain one of the reputedly finest pieces of architecture in Dorset, the chapel of St. Mary's. Facilities The castle and park are open daily (except Saturday) year round from 10.30am to 4pm between January to March and October to December, and until 6pm April to September. The castle offers visitors 'The Courtyard Shop' with souvenirs and gifts and the 'Stable Cafe' with its views out towards the sea, serving light meals and refreshments. The castle also operates as a wedding venue for civil marriages and wedding receptions. A visit inside the castle reveals displays, gallery and interpretation panels about the castle's history and unfortunate fire as well as a unique look at the inside of a castle from top to bottom in a very different way, with secret doors and hidden passages of the past on show. Visitors can also see inside Lulworth Castle House with an appointment. Originally built as a hunting lodge in 1610 for Thomas Howard, Lulworth Castle was used to entertain Royal guests and was later made into a country house with a grand estate. In 1541 Humphrey Weld purchased the property and added a chapel after which time it was also used by the French Royal Family as a place of exile after the French Revolution. In 1929 the castle was subject to a huge fire which totally destroyed the interior and roof, the damage was so significant that the family built a new residence Lulworth Castle House nearby rather than rebuild the castle. In the 1970's English Heritage began restoration work on the castle with the exterior being restored to its former glory and the remaining inside walls being cleaned and restored but without any further reconstruction. The Arts In 2008 and 2009 the castle grounds were home to the Camp Bestival music festival with appearances from Kate Nash, The Flaming Lips and Chuck Berry.

Nunney Castle is a remarkable and unusually well-preserved fourteenth-century castle near the village of Nunney in Somerset, a dramatically turreted fortification built between 1373 and 1383 by Sir John de la Mare and based closely on the contemporary French castle-building tradition. The castle is a rectangular tower with a massive round tower at each corner, surrounded by a wide moat that survives to this day in excellent condition, creating one of the most complete and visually striking small castles in England. The castle was held by Royalist forces during the Civil War and was bombarded by Parliamentary artillery in 1645, causing one of the castle walls to collapse. The ruined castle and its complete moat are managed by English Heritage and freely accessible in the centre of the attractive Somerset village. Nunney Castle is one of the finest late medieval fortified towers in England.

Old Sherborne Castle is situated in the grounds of the 'New Sherborne Castle', half a mile east of Sherborne in the south west of England. The ruins of 'Old Sherborne Castle' comprise of part of a high curtain wall and its three storey gatehouse and parts of the Great Tower and the north range. The castle is within an estate of over 15,000 acres of woodland, formal gardens and a lake Facilities The castle is open daily from 10am between April and November, and has its own small shop selling souvenirs, light refreshments, ice cream and soft drinks, or visitors are invited to picnic within the ruins. Old Sherborne Castle' was built in the early 12th century as the fortified palace for Roger de Caen, Bishop of Salisbury who was also the Chancellor of England. He served as Chancellor to King Henry I, but after Henry's death there were great conflicts as to the ownership of the castle, it was seized for the crown before finally being repurchased by the church who kept it until the late 16th century. Queen Elizabeth persuaded the church to relinquish the estate to the Crown in 1592 after Sir Walter Raleigh fell in love it and petitioned her to acquire it for him. The castle was leased for 99 years to Sir Walter but he decided that the old castle did not meet his needs so he built a new home 'Sherborne Lodge' on the south side of the lake in the deer park. The castle was used for the last time during the civil war when it was twice held for the King, on the second occasion it managed to hold out for over two weeks against General Fairfax. Finally, in the following year the castle's defenses were partially dismantled to prevent further use and it was left abandoned. Although the castle is still within the estate owned by the Wingfield Digby family, it now in the care of English Heritage.

Portland Castle was built by Henry VIII in the 1540s as a coastal defence against the French and Spanish. It was used as a prison during the Civil War, a sea-plane station in World War I, and a command post during World War II. It is now owned by English Heritage and is open to the public daily.

Sandfoot Castle is situated just to the West of Weymouth, on the edge of the cliff overlooking Portland Harbour. The main castle was rectangular with two storeys and dungeons. It provided a heavy gun emplacement, quarters for its garrison and underground magazines. The castle was surrounded by a ditch and a series of ramparts. Coastal erosion undermined the cliff the castle stands on, and Sandfoot began to crumble. The castle has been unstable for many years, with most of it having fallen into the sea. It is a dangerous structure and public access is prohibited for safety reasons. There used to be a wooden bridge from the gardens to the castle, but that was removed in 2003. The castle was built by Henry VIII as coastal defence against attacked by Roman Catholic enemies from the continent. He built several castles along the south coast of England and Portland Castle and Sandsfoot Castle were the first to be completed in the late 1530s. The two castles were sited to protect Portland Harbour. Sandsfoot Castle was vulnerable to attack from land and changed hands more than once during the English Civil War. The castle dungeons were used as a mint during the Civil War.