Taunton Castle
Encyclopedia
Taunton Castle is a castle
built to defend the town of Taunton
, Somerset
, England.
It has origins in the Anglo Saxon
period and was later the site of a priory
. The Normans
then built a stone structured
castle, which belonged to the Bishops of Winchester
. The current heavily reconstructed buildings are the inner ward, which now houses the county museum
, and the Michelin Guide
starred Castle Hotel
on the site of one of the previous gate houses.
and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710. However according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
this was destroyed twelve years later, however it is unlikely this was on the site of the current castle. An ecclesiastical minster is traditionally said to have been founded at Taunton, only a few years later, by Queen Frithugyth
, wife of King Æthelheard of Wessex, and the Bishops of Wessex appear to have built a manor house, adjoining it.
Taunton belonged to the Bishop of Winchester
, who had a minster or Augustinian Priory
on the site. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard
the Chancellor of King Henry I
, converted the bishop's hall into a castle. It was his successor, Henry of Blois
, who transformed the manor-house here into a mighty castle in 1138, during the Civil War
that raged during the reign of his brother, King Stephen
. In 1216, Bishop Peter des Roches
, a supporter of King John, defended the castle during a barons' revolt. By the late 12th century the Keep
measured 65 feet (19.8 m) by 98 feet (29.9 m) with a first floor great hall over a stone vaulted undercroft. During the Second Barons' War
it was used as a prison for the son of Simon de Montfort
who was held here until 1282. In 1451, when the Earl of Devon
besieged the castle which was held by Lord Bonville
, it was arranged around two baileys.
The gate-house of the inner ward was probably of Edward I
's date (1239–1307), but it was changed by Bishop Walter Langton
in 1496. He inserted a large two-lighted Tudor
window and placed a tablet bearing his own arms, supported by angels, above it and the Royal Coat of King Henry VII
below. The Great Hall, which stands just opposite the gateway, is 120 feet (37 m) by 31 feet (9 m), with walls apparently, in part, Norman, but much changed by later generations. Bishop Langton inserted Tudor windows but all of them, save two in the north front, have been replaced by seventeenth or eighteenth century substitutes. The last building erected within the walls was a schoolhouse, paid for by Bishop Richard Foxe
in the 1520s.
in June 1644 making it the only Parliamentary enclave in the South West of the country. After Essex's army was forced to surrender at Lostwithiel
in Cornwall
in September, the Royalists maintained a Siege of Taunton
. From July 1644 to July 1645 Parliamentary forces commanded by Colonel Robert Blake
were besieged by Royalist forces under Lord Goring
, although the town was briefly relieved by Sir William Waller
in late November. A relief column under Colonel Ralph Weldon made it to Taunton on 11 May, but the combined forces were still besieged. The two generals held out until help arrived on 14 June after the troops could be spared from the Battle of Naseby
. After the war, in 1662, the keep was demolished and only the base remains.
It was in the Great Hall, in 1685, that Judge Jeffries held the Bloody Assizes
following the Monmouth Rebellion
. Of more than 500 supporters of James Monmouth brought before the court on the 18 and 19 September 144 were hanged and their remains displayed around the county to ensure people understood the fate of those who rebelled against the king.
keep of the first half of the twelfth century, 50 feet (15 m) long by 40 feet (12 m) wide, in three stories, with walls some 13 feet (4 m) thick. This was let into the walls of an inner ward with a stone enceinte
and, there was an outer bailey
represented by the modern "Castle Green". Until the late 17th century the castle was still used as a prison.
By 1780, many parts of the castle, had fallen into a bad condition and were repaired in a Georgian style
by Sir Benjamin Hammet, a banker of Lombard Street, London
and the Member of Parliament for Taunton
. In 1786 he purchased the grant as bailiff and keeper of Taunton Castle in the names of his sons and his nephew. He put on a new roof, inserted many windows and recast many other details all round the castle. During the 18th and 19th centuries the Great Hall was used for public meetings.
The outer ward is now occupied by two hotels, which have been crenellated, in order to be in keeping with the genuine battlements of the inner ward. But the great gate, opening into the enclosure, where they stand, is in part a genuine antique, having the arches of an "Early Decorated " gate-house of about the time of Edward I
, though the super-structure is a restoration of 1816. In 1873 it was bought by the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society
and between 1899 and 1900 the Great Hall was repaired and refitted as their chief museum space. In 1908-9 the Adam Library was created to house the society's growing collection of books.
. In October 2007 plans for a £6.5 million improvement to the museum and the castle were submitted by Somerset County Council to the Heritage Lottery Fund
. The building has been designated by English Heritage
as a grade I listed building.
The Castle Hotel, Taunton
is over 300 years old in its own right and is built on the site of one of the outer gate houses.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
built to defend the town of Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England.
It has origins in the Anglo Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
period and was later the site of a priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
. The Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
then built a stone structured
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castle, which belonged to the Bishops of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
. The current heavily reconstructed buildings are the inner ward, which now houses the county museum
Somerset County Museum
The Museum of Somerset is located in the 12th century great hall of Taunton Castle, in Taunton in the county of Somerset, England. The museum is run by Somerset County Council and includes objects initially collected by the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society who own the...
, and the Michelin Guide
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
starred Castle Hotel
Castle Hotel, Taunton
The Castle Hotel at Taunton is a hotel and restaurant located in the centre of Taunton, Somerset, England. The business is located in a Grade II listed 18th century reconstruction of the former 12th century Norman fortress, Taunton Castle.-Building:...
on the site of one of the previous gate houses.
Anglo Saxon origins
The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of WessexIne of Wessex
Ine was King of Wessex from 688 to 726. He was unable to retain the territorial gains of his predecessor, Cædwalla, who had brought much of southern England under his control and expanded West Saxon territory substantially...
and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710. However according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
this was destroyed twelve years later, however it is unlikely this was on the site of the current castle. An ecclesiastical minster is traditionally said to have been founded at Taunton, only a few years later, by Queen Frithugyth
Frithugyth
Frithugyth was the wife of King Æthelheard of Wessex .Frithugyth is reported by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to have made a pilgrimage to Rome in 737 along with Forthhere, Bishop of Sherborne...
, wife of King Æthelheard of Wessex, and the Bishops of Wessex appear to have built a manor house, adjoining it.
Medieval and Tudor eras
At the time of the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
Taunton belonged to the Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, who had a minster or Augustinian Priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
on the site. Between 1107 and 1129 William Giffard
William Giffard
William Giffard was the Lord Chancellor of England of William II and Henry I, from 1093 to 1101.Giffard was the brother of Walter Giffard earl of Buckingham. He also held the office of Dean of Rouen prior to his election as bishop. On 3 August 1100 he became bishop of Winchester by nomination of...
the Chancellor of King Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, converted the bishop's hall into a castle. It was his successor, Henry of Blois
Henry of Blois
Henry of Blois , often known as Henry of Winchester, was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126, and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to his death.-Early life and education:...
, who transformed the manor-house here into a mighty castle in 1138, during the Civil War
The Anarchy
The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
that raged during the reign of his brother, King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
. In 1216, Bishop Peter des Roches
Peter des Roches
Peter des Roches was bishop of Winchester in the reigns of King John of England and his son Henry III. Roches was not an Englishman, but a Poitevin.-Life:...
, a supporter of King John, defended the castle during a barons' revolt. By the late 12th century the Keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
measured 65 feet (19.8 m) by 98 feet (29.9 m) with a first floor great hall over a stone vaulted undercroft. During the Second Barons' War
Second Barons' War
The Second Barons' War was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward , in the name of Henry III.-Causes:...
it was used as a prison for the son of Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
who was held here until 1282. In 1451, when the Earl of Devon
Earl of Devon
The title of Earl of Devon was created several times in the Peerage of England, and was possessed first by the de Redvers family, and later by the Courtenays...
besieged the castle which was held by Lord Bonville
William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville
William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville, KG was an English nobleman, soldier, and administrator. He was a staunch Yorkist supporter during the Wars of the Roses, and he was executed following the Yorkist defeat at the Second Battle of St Albans, by the orders of Queen consort Margaret of Anjou...
, it was arranged around two baileys.
The gate-house of the inner ward was probably of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
's date (1239–1307), but it was changed by Bishop Walter Langton
Walter Langton
Walter Langton was a bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and treasurer of England.He was probably a native of Langton West in Leicestershire....
in 1496. He inserted a large two-lighted Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
window and placed a tablet bearing his own arms, supported by angels, above it and the Royal Coat of King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
below. The Great Hall, which stands just opposite the gateway, is 120 feet (37 m) by 31 feet (9 m), with walls apparently, in part, Norman, but much changed by later generations. Bishop Langton inserted Tudor windows but all of them, save two in the north front, have been replaced by seventeenth or eighteenth century substitutes. The last building erected within the walls was a schoolhouse, paid for by Bishop Richard Foxe
Richard Foxe
Richard Foxe was an English churchman, successively Bishop of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester, Lord Privy Seal, and founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.-Life:...
in the 1520s.
Stuart era and Civil War
Taunton Castle had fallen into ruin by 1600 but it was repaired during the Civil War. Taunton had been captured by the Parliamentarian army under the Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
in June 1644 making it the only Parliamentary enclave in the South West of the country. After Essex's army was forced to surrender at Lostwithiel
Battle of Lostwithiel
The Battles of Lostwithiel or Lostwithiel Campaign, took place near Lostwithiel and Fowey during the First English Civil War in 1644.After defeating the Army of Sir William Waller at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge, King Charles marched west in pursuit of the Parliamentarian army of the Earl of...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in September, the Royalists maintained a Siege of Taunton
Siege of Taunton
The Siege of Taunton occurred during the English Civil War.Taunton Castle changed hands several times during the great Civil War of 1642-45 but only along with the town....
. From July 1644 to July 1645 Parliamentary forces commanded by Colonel Robert Blake
Robert Blake (admiral)
Robert Blake was one of the most important military commanders of the Commonwealth of England and one of the most famous English admirals of the 17th century. Blake is recognised as the chief founder of England's naval supremacy, a dominance subsequently inherited by the British Royal Navy into...
were besieged by Royalist forces under Lord Goring
George Goring, Lord Goring
George Goring, Lord Goring was an English Royalist soldier. He was known by the courtesy title Lord Goring as the eldest son of the 1st Earl of Norwich.- The Goring family :...
, although the town was briefly relieved by Sir William Waller
William Waller
Sir William Waller was an English soldier during the English Civil War. He received his education at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and served in the Venetian army and in the Thirty Years' War...
in late November. A relief column under Colonel Ralph Weldon made it to Taunton on 11 May, but the combined forces were still besieged. The two generals held out until help arrived on 14 June after the troops could be spared from the Battle of Naseby
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
. After the war, in 1662, the keep was demolished and only the base remains.
It was in the Great Hall, in 1685, that Judge Jeffries held the Bloody Assizes
Bloody Assizes
The Bloody Assizes were a series of trials started at Winchester on 25 August 1685 in the aftermath of the Battle of Sedgemoor, which ended the Monmouth Rebellion in England....
following the Monmouth Rebellion
Monmouth Rebellion
The Monmouth Rebellion,The Revolt of the West or The West Country rebellion of 1685, was an attempt to overthrow James II, who had become King of England, King of Scots and King of Ireland at the death of his elder brother Charles II on 6 February 1685. James II was a Roman Catholic, and some...
. Of more than 500 supporters of James Monmouth brought before the court on the 18 and 19 September 144 were hanged and their remains displayed around the county to ensure people understood the fate of those who rebelled against the king.
Architecture
Taunton was a typical NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
keep of the first half of the twelfth century, 50 feet (15 m) long by 40 feet (12 m) wide, in three stories, with walls some 13 feet (4 m) thick. This was let into the walls of an inner ward with a stone enceinte
Enceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
and, there was an outer bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
represented by the modern "Castle Green". Until the late 17th century the castle was still used as a prison.
By 1780, many parts of the castle, had fallen into a bad condition and were repaired in a Georgian style
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
by Sir Benjamin Hammet, a banker of Lombard Street, London
Lombard Street, London
Lombard Street is a street in the City of London.It runs from the corner of the Bank of England at its north-west end, where it meets a major junction including Poultry, King William Street, and Threadneedle Street, south-east to Gracechurch Street....
and the Member of Parliament for Taunton
Taunton (UK Parliament constituency)
Taunton was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessors from 1295 to 2010, taking its name from the town of Taunton in Somerset...
. In 1786 he purchased the grant as bailiff and keeper of Taunton Castle in the names of his sons and his nephew. He put on a new roof, inserted many windows and recast many other details all round the castle. During the 18th and 19th centuries the Great Hall was used for public meetings.
The outer ward is now occupied by two hotels, which have been crenellated, in order to be in keeping with the genuine battlements of the inner ward. But the great gate, opening into the enclosure, where they stand, is in part a genuine antique, having the arches of an "Early Decorated " gate-house of about the time of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
, though the super-structure is a restoration of 1816. In 1873 it was bought by the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society
Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society
The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society was founded in 1849. The Society bought Taunton Castle in 1874, and leases it to Somerset County Council to house the Museum of Somerset. A substantial proportion of the items held by the Museum were originally collected by the Society...
and between 1899 and 1900 the Great Hall was repaired and refitted as their chief museum space. In 1908-9 the Adam Library was created to house the society's growing collection of books.
The Castle Today
The great hall and inner ward of the original castle make up the Somerset County MuseumSomerset County Museum
The Museum of Somerset is located in the 12th century great hall of Taunton Castle, in Taunton in the county of Somerset, England. The museum is run by Somerset County Council and includes objects initially collected by the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society who own the...
. In October 2007 plans for a £6.5 million improvement to the museum and the castle were submitted by Somerset County Council to the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
. The building has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a grade I listed building.
The Castle Hotel, Taunton
Castle Hotel, Taunton
The Castle Hotel at Taunton is a hotel and restaurant located in the centre of Taunton, Somerset, England. The business is located in a Grade II listed 18th century reconstruction of the former 12th century Norman fortress, Taunton Castle.-Building:...
is over 300 years old in its own right and is built on the site of one of the outer gate houses.