Fortified Britain
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Bridgwater Castle
- Bridgwater, Somerset
- Scheduled Monument
- Grade II Listed Building.
Rectangular enclosure castle, surrounded by a ditch, covering approximately 10 acres with the moat measuring 65.6 ft wide. The south west corner of the moat measured approximately 13.1 ft wide and 13.1 ft deep. Built of red sandstone.
Bailey used for archery training. The keep stood in the area of Kings Square.
1200-1202 Built by William de Briwerre after receiving a licence to build a castle.
1219 Stone chapel in castle grounds.
1233 Passed to Henry III.
1233-1248 Royal castle used as a prison and had Constables.
1242 Motte and turrets repaired.
1245 The motte and towers were repaired.
1246 Towers roofed and palisade repaired.
13th C Gateway.
1322-1326 Held by the Crown.
1347-1348 Repairs made to the chapel and barn.
1360 In ruins.
1380’s Repairs undertaken to buildings and fortifications.
1390’s Mortimer’s Hall built.
1394-1395 North side palisade repaired, wall strengthened on the eastern side and towers repaired.
14th C Ditch partially filled in.
1400 Buildings in the inner bailey.
1408 New chamber added.
1450’s Private houses built on the site.
1530’s-1540’s Constable and bailiff on site.
1535 Chapel was dedicated to St. Mark.
1540-1546 Itinerary of John Leland: Ruins.
1548 Part of the castle fell down.
1591 Leased to William Goble.
1607 c: Held by the Crown.
1627 Owned by Sir George Whitmore?
1630 William Goble sold it to Henry Harley.
1635 Before: Some of the walls were demolished.
1637 Mansion house built on motte with a twin towered gatehouse.
1645 Fortified by the Royalists under the command of Col. Wyndham.
1645 22nd July: Fairfax attacked the castle at night and bridged the moat.
1645 23rd July: The castle surrendered to parliament.
1646 August: The garrison was disbanded and the castle slighted by Parliament.
1647 March: The slighting of the castle was reconsidered.
1647 July: The works were slighted.
1673 Owned by Francis Harvey.
1699 Owned by John Harvey.
17th-18th C Ditch partially filled in.
1721 Francis Harvey gave it to James Brydges, Duke of Chandos.
1726 Eastern wall demolished.
1734 The Duke of Chandos sold it to Thomas Watts.
1738 Thomas Watts gave it to John Anderdon.
1777 Owned by Edward Anderdon. Two houses stood in the bailey.
18th C Ditch partially filled in.
18th-19th C Ditch partially filled in.
1804 Playground and open area on the west of the site.
1964 Field Investigation.
1972 Excavated by Bridgewater and District Archaeological Society.
1980’s Watching Brief by Somerset County Council.
1980-1989 Watching Brief by Somerset County Council.
1984 Excavated by Western Archaeological Trust.
1988 Moat excavated b y Somerset County Council.
1990 Surveyed.
2002 Excavated
21st C Only the Water Gate remains.
