Bramber Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Brenbre; Brembre; Brambre

In the civil parish of Bramber. In the historic county of Sussex (Modern Authority of West Sussex, 1974 county of West Sussex).

Earthworks and internal area of a castle which was occupied almost continuously from 1075 to about 1450 by the descendants of the founder, William de Braose. Partial excavation of the site in 1966-7 revealed how the castle developed from a 'motte and bailey' type to an 'enclosure' type. The castle was established as a defensive and administrative centre for the newly established rape of Bramber. The motte was raised 9m above the knoll level using marl quarried from an encircling ditch 15-17m wide and up to 4m deep. The whole knoll top, 170m by 85m, was enclosed within a wall or palisade, and a stone gatehouse guarded the only entrance. The motte was soon abandoned in favour of a stone tower keep of three storeys built over the gatehouse, and the motte ditch was backfilled. An outer ditch, which plunged to 25m below the knoll top in places, was dug around the knoll and on its outer edge a bank was constructed to strengthen further the defences.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 298336)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ18551070

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
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 396239
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular '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, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.sussex.co.uk/history/bramber-castle.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/198/brambercastle.htm
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.174
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/bramber.html
• Books
  • Elliot, Julia (ed), 2005, Heritage Unlocked; Guide to free sites in London and the South East (London: English Heritage) p60-1
    Brown, Philip, 2003, Two Norman Castles: Bramber and Hastings (Icon Press)
    Jones, R., 2003, 'Hastings to Herstmonceux: the castles of Sussex' in Rudling, D. (ed) The archaeology of Sussex to AD2000 (Great Dunham: Heritage Marketing and Publications) p171-8
    Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Sussex (Malvern) p28-31
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p247
    Guy, John, 1984, Castles in Sussex (Phillimore) p40-3
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p470
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p193-4
    Hudson T.P. (ed), 1980, ‘Castle’, in VCH Sussex. Bramber Rape (southern part), (Oxford: OUP for the Institute of Historical Research) Vol6 pt1 p204–6
    Drewett P.L. (ed), 1978, Archaeology in Sussex to AD 1500 (CBA research report 29) p71, 77, 89-90
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p575
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p109-110
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Allcroft, A. Hadrian, 1908, Earthwork of England (London) p432-3 http://www.archive.org/details/earthworkofengla00allc
    Clinch, 1905, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Sussex Vol1 p474-5
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p66-8
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol1 p264-73
    Erredge, H., 1882, The History of Bramber Castle (Brighton)
    Elwes, Dudley George Cary, 1876, A history of the Castles, Mansions, and Manors of Western Sussex (London: Longmans) p45-9
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p363-4
    Dallaway, James, 1832 [2edn], A History of the Western Division of the County of Sussex Vol2 pt2 p172-3
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol5 p137-40
• Journal Articles
  • Woodburn, Bill and Guy, Neil, 2005-6, 'Sedgewick Castle' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol 19 p79-82
    Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106 p371-392 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28199104%29106%3A419%3C371%3AAHOCRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q
    Youngs, S.M. et al, 1988 ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1987' Medieval Archaeology Vol32 p278 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Holden, E.W., 1985, 'Bramber Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol142 p27
    Barton, K.J. and Holden, E.W., 1978, 'Excavations at Bramber Castle, Sussex, 1966-7' Archaeological Journal Vol134 p11-79
    Barton, K.J. and Holden, E.W., 1977, ‘Five castle excavations: reports on the Institute’s research project into the origins of the castle in England. Excavations at Bramber Castle, Sussex, 1966-67' Archaeological Journal Vol134 p11-79
    1968, Medieval Archaeology Vol12 p178 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    (Barton and Holden), 1967, Medieval Archaeology Vol11 p285-6 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Selkirk, 1967 Nov, Current Archaeology Vol5 p131-2
    Barton and Holden, 1966, Sussex Notes and Queries Vol16 p256-8
    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
    Duke, Frank and Curwen, E Cecil, 1927, 'Recent Finds at Bramber Castle.' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol68 p241-244
    Armitage, E., 1904 April, 'The Early Norman Castles of England' The English Historical Review Vol19 p209-245, 417-455 http://www.archive.org/stream/englishhistorica19londuoft
    Clark, G.T., 1876, The Builder Vol34 p555-7 [reprinted in MMA]
    Bloxham, M.W., 1864, 'Notes on Places visited at the Annual Meeting, 14th August 1863. The Churches.' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol16 p233-246
    Grantham, Rev D., 1852, 'Historic Notices of Bramber Castle and of the Family of De Braose' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol5 p147-154 [history only]
• 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] p448-9
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#sussex11]