Nunney Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Nonny

In the civil parish of Nunney. In the historic county of Somerset (Modern Authority of Somerset, 1974 county of Somerset).

Quadrangular castle in the centre of Nunney, on the west bank of Nunney Brook. The castle is of a highly distinctive design, consisting of a high four-storey rectangular building containing principal rooms such as the great hall, with large closely-spaced circular towers providing more private chambers. The towers still rise almost to their full height, and are crested by a parapet surmounted by a drum turret. The building is tightly enclosed by a wide moat. Nunney Castle was built by Sir John de la Mare in 1373, when he obtained a licence to 'crenelate' his house. The family were Royalists and Roman Catholic in the Civil War, and the castle was besieged by the Parliamentarians in 1645, falling after two days when the north side of the castle was severely damaged by gunfire. It was 'slighted' thereafter, although the walls were left intact, the north wall only finally collapsing in 1910.
a praty castle at the weste end of the paroche churche, havynge at eche end by northe and southe 2 praty rownd towres gatheryd by cumpace to joyne into one. The waulls be very stronge and thykke, and the stayres narrow; the lodgynge within somewhat darke. It standith on the lefte ripe of the ryver devidethe it from the churcheyarde. The castell is motyd about, and this mote is servid by water conveyed into it owte of the ryver. There is a stronge waulle withe owte the mote rounde about, saving at the est parte of the castell where it is defendyd by the brooke. (Leland)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST73664572

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 202784
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 23897 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.nunneycastle.freewire.co.uk/
    http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/nunney%20castle.htm
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/nunney/nunney.php
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_Nunney.htm
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.287
    http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=23897
    http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/adv_reference.asp?imageUID=76033
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/nunney.html
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p604-7
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p80-2
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p223
    Dunning, Robert, 1995, Somerset Castles (Somerset Books) p63-5
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p444
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p269-70
    McGarvie, 1977 (3rd edn), Nunney and Trudoxhill
    Pevsner, N., 1958, The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol (London, Penguin) p238-9
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p222
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p64-6
    Burrow, Edward J., 1924, Ancient Earthworks and Camps of Somerset (Cheltenham and London) p128
    Bothamley, 1911, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Somerset Vol2 p521
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p65-7
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p417
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol2 p296
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p261
• Journal Articles
  • King, D.J.C., 1986 'Nunney Castle' 133rd annual meeting: Avon, 1986. Rhaglen/Programme, CAA p35–6
    Morley, B.M., 1977, 'Nunney Castle, Somerset' Archaeological Journal Vol134 p353-4
    Hussey, C., 1943 Jan/Feb, Country Life Vol93 p218-21, 264-7
    1930, Archaeological Journal Vol87 p488-9
    Green, E., 1876, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society Vol22 p69-105
    Giles, 1851, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society Vol1 p123-6 [of little value]
• Guidebooks
  • Rigold, S.E., 1956, Nunneny Castle, Somerset (HMSO)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1370-74) p367
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/dorseteng.html#somerset21]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p428
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol5 p97 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl05lelauoft