Castle in Somerset

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.

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.

Cary Castle is a scheduled ancient monument located near Castle Cary in Somerset, England, consisting of the earthwork remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle that once dominated this part of the Somerset countryside. The site sits on a naturally prominent hill on the western edge of Castle Cary town, and it is precisely this defensive eminence that made the location so attractive to its Norman builders. Though little remains above ground beyond the earthworks themselves, the site holds considerable archaeological and historical significance as one of the more complete examples of Norman fortification planning in Somerset, and it is listed as a Scheduled Monument under UK heritage law, affording it legal protection. For visitors with an interest in medieval history, landscape archaeology, or simply in finding a vantage point over the gentle hills of the Somerset vale, the site offers a quietly rewarding experience that rewards those willing to look beyond what is immediately visible. The castle is believed to have been founded in the late eleventh or early twelfth century, most likely by the Lovell family, who were among the Norman lords granted lands in this part of Somerset following the Conquest of 1066. The Lovells held Castle Cary as a significant seat for some generations, and the fortification would have served as the administrative and military centre of their local authority. The castle appears in historical record during the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda — the period known as the Anarchy — when it was reportedly besieged and captured by King Stephen's forces, who took it from a lord loyal to Matilda around 1138. This event is one of the few specific historical moments clearly associated with the site, and it underlines that despite its modest present appearance, this was once a place of genuine political and military consequence. The castle appears to have declined and fallen out of use during the medieval period, and by the later Middle Ages it had likely been abandoned as a residence in favour of other arrangements. Physically, Cary Castle today presents itself as a grassy, tree-crowned mound — the classic motte — with surrounding earthwork ditches and traces of the broader bailey enclosure still legible in the landscape for those who know what to look for. The motte itself rises noticeably above the surrounding ground and retains a satisfying roundness and scale that conveys the effort that must have gone into its construction. In warmer months the earthworks are clothed in longer grasses and wildflowers, and mature trees crown the upper sections of the mound, giving the whole site a somewhat picturesque, romantically overgrown character that is typical of long-abandoned medieval earthworks in the English countryside. Standing atop or beside the mound, there is a palpable sense of elevation and exposure, with the wind moving through the trees and views opening out across the surrounding vale. It is a quiet, contemplative kind of place, carrying the particular atmosphere of somewhere that was once intensely alive with human activity and is now gently returning to nature. The town of Castle Cary itself lies immediately adjacent, a handsome and characterful small Somerset market town that retains much of its traditional stone architecture and a compact, unhurried character. The town has a working railway station on the Castle Cary to Weymouth line, which also serves as a connection point for the mainline to London Paddington, making it one of the more accessible small towns in this part of Somerset. The surrounding landscape is classic Somerset: rolling hills of the Yeo valley, mixed farmland, hedgerows and small copses, with the more dramatic terrain of the Mendip Hills visible to the north and the Dorset hills discernible in other directions on clear days. The nearby village of Ansford adjoins Castle Cary, and the broader area contains numerous other points of interest including Cadbury Castle — the great Iron Age hillfort associated with Arthurian legend — lying only a few miles to the southwest. Visiting Cary Castle is a relaxed and informal affair. There is no admission charge, no visitor centre and no formal infrastructure at the monument itself, which is accessible as part of the open landscape on the edge of town. Visitors arriving by train will find Castle Cary station approximately a mile or so from the town centre and the castle site, making it a walkable arrival even without a car. The best time to visit is arguably late spring or autumn, when vegetation is either not yet fully dense or has begun to thin, allowing the earthwork forms to be read more clearly in the landscape. The site can be muddy after rain, so appropriate footwear is advisable. Because it is a scheduled monument, visitors should take care not to disturb the earthworks, though walking around and over the mound is a normal part of appreciating the site. One of the more intriguing aspects of Cary Castle is how thoroughly the town that grew up around it has absorbed and almost forgotten the fortification at its edge. The very name Castle Cary preserves the memory of the Norman stronghold — "castle by the River Cary" being the essential meaning — yet the monument itself sits with relatively little fanfare or signage. This is somewhat characteristic of England's rich density of ancient sites: extraordinary survivals existing quietly alongside everyday life, noticed by those who seek them and overlooked by those who do not. The association with the Anarchy, one of the most turbulent periods of medieval English history, gives the site a resonance that belies its modest earthwork appearance, and for students of Norman England it represents a tangible connection to a political world of remarkable violence and complexity.