Sherborne Old Castle
The ruins of a strongly fortified palace of the bishops of Salisbury, later associated with Walter Raleigh and a destructive Civil War siege.
The ruins of a strongly fortified palace of the bishops of Salisbury, later associated with Walter Raleigh and a destructive Civil War siege.
Register entry — SHERBORNE OLD CASTLE. National Heritage List for England reference: 1119378. Recorded designation: Grade I listed building.
First listed: 1951-07-11. This is the listing date, not a construction date.
Source: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1119378
The register identity was cross-checked against the official record name, coordinates and grade on 21 October 2026.
An English editorial overview and visiting guidance are available in this dossier. Check the linked official information for current opening times, access and booking arrangements.
Record
- Ruins of a fortified episcopal palace
- United Kingdom
- Castleton
- South West England
- other
- 1951-07-11
Editorial reading
English Heritage describes Sherborne Old Castle as an episcopal palace for more than half its history. Surviving elements include the great tower, chapels and a substantial south-west gatehouse, showing the combination of residential, religious and defensive functions.
The property was leased to Walter Raleigh in the Elizabethan period. During the Civil War it became a Royalist stronghold and fell to Parliamentarian forces in 1645 after an eleven-day siege. The ruins therefore reflect a long sequence of occupation and conflict, not a building that was always maintained as a picturesque monument.
Our editorial reading: consider how the bishop's palace operated within a fortified enclosure, and how the remaining fragments differ from a complete domestic building. This page concerns the Old Castle rather than the separate later house associated with the Sherborne Castle name.
Source: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/sherborne-old-castle/ (checked 21 October 2026).
Recommendation
Check current opening and access guidance. The official information describes grass, gravel, a bridge approach and sloping access towards the moat; the exposed site offers limited shelter in poor weather.
Location and visiting
Confirm current opening times, access and reservations with the place itself. These details follow the source record.
Sources & credits
Source record: Wikidata
Source record: Eigen redactie
Source record: National Heritage List for England (Historic England)
Source record: Wikimedia Commons
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