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.
Sherborne Old Castle est un château situé à Castleton, England, au Royaume-Uni. Le registre le désigne comme « scheduled monument ». Données issues de Wikidata.
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.
Fiche
- Ruins of a fortified episcopal palace
- Royaume-Uni
- Castleton
- South West England
- other
- 1951-07-11
Lecture éditoriale
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).
Conseils de visite
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.
Localisation et visite
Confirmez les horaires, les conditions d’accès et les réservations auprès du lieu lui-même. Ces indications suivent la notice source.
Sources et crédits
Notice source : Wikidata
Notice source : Eigen redactie
Notice source : National Heritage List for England (Historic England)
Notice source : Wikimedia Commons
Explorer la région
D’après le pays et la région enregistrés. Le découpage européen est un choix éditorial. Ce lien ouvre la collection régionale en anglais, avec des lieux de plusieurs Mondes et des publications liées.