Farnham Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Feornham

In the civil parish of Farnham. In the historic county of Surrey (Modern Authority of Surrey, 1974 county of Surrey).

Small square tower keep (only foundations remain) surrounded by a motte, surrounded by a shell keep. The first Castle was built during the Anarchy by Henry de Blois, Bishop of Winchester. The original stone keep was probably built by Henry around 1138. However, he was forced to flee abroad when Henry II became King and the Castle was dismantled, only to be rebuilt again by Henry de Blois again in 1158. Later a pile of earth was heaped against Henry's tower as if to emulate a motte and a shell keep was added around that. The outer walls, now much altered, were added later and the Gatehouse around 1470 by William of Waynflete. These outer buildings have survived well enough to remain habitable, but the shell keep was battered badly during the Civil War when the Castle and town changed sides many times.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 290830; 290831)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU83724732

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 247314
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 12004 '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.farnhamcastle.com/history/
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/186/farnhamcastle.htm
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/farnham/farnham.php
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.185
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/farnham.html
    http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/GetRecord/SHHER_12004
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p337-9, 430-34
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Surrey (Malvern) p10-14
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p27, 29, 36, 52, 86, 120, 125-6, 142, 162, 165
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p239-41 [plan]
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p177-8, 187, 190, 197, 349
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby) p36, 46, 88, 141, 160, 175
    Furtado, Peter et al (eds), 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain (London) p54
    Brooks, P.D., 1985. Farnham Castle: the forgotten years. (Farnham: Farnham and District Museum Society)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p465
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p230-1
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Pevsner, N. and Nairn, Ian, 1971 (Revised Cherry, Bridget), The Buildings of England: Surrey (London, Penguin) p232-5
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p65-6
    Robo, E., 1935, Medieval Farnham p121-53
    Malden, H.E. (ed), 1912, VCH Surrey Vol4 p395-6
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p291-8
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Malden, H.E. (ed), 1905, VCH Surrey Vol2 p599-602
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p93-4
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p273-6
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p309-10
    Manning and Bray, 1804-14, The History and Antiquities of Surrey (London) Vol3 p134-7
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p279
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol5 p90-1
• Journal Articles
  • Riall, N., 2003, The new castles of Henry de Blois as bishop of Winchester: the case against Farnham, Surrey' Medieval Archaeology Vol47 p115-29 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p317
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T., 1986, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1985' Medieval Archaeology Vol30 p164-5 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Field, Nicholayson, 1980, Surrey Archaeological Society Bulletin Vol169 p5-6
    Reynolds, N., 1975, Medieval Archaeology Vol19 p203 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Wood, Margaret, 1974, 'Norman domestic architecture' Royal Archaeological Institute monograph series p51-2
    Thompson, M.W., 1967, 'Excavations in Farnham Castle Keep, Surrey' Château Gaillard Vol2 p100-105
    Thompson, M.W., 1960, 'Recent excavations in the keep of Farnham Castle, Surrey' Medieval Archaeology Vol4 p81-94 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Thompson, M.W., 1960, 'The Date of "Fox's Tower", Farnham Castle, Surrey' Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol57 p85-92
    Wilson, D.M. and Hurst, J.G., 1959, 'Medieval Britain in 1958' Medieval Archaeology Vol3 p308 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Oswald, 1939, Country Life Vol86 p652-6, 682-6
    Tipping, H.A., 1911, Country Life Vol29 p636-45
• Guidebooks
  • Wareham, J., 2000, Three palaces of the bishops of Winchester: Wolvesey (Old Bishop's Palace), Hampshire; Bishop's Waltham Palace, Hampshire; Farnham Castle keep, Surrey (London: English Heritage)
    Thompson, M.W., 1987, Farnham Castle Keep, Surrey (London: English Heritage)
    Centre for International Briefing, 1965 [and later editions], Farnham Castle: History and Guide
    Thompson, M.W., 1961, Farnham Castle Keep, Surrey (HMSO)
    Wade, 1947, Farnham Castle (Farnham)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p444
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#surrey2]