Farleigh Hungerford Castle
On the banks of the river Frome are the extensive remains of Farleigh Hungerford Castle, once a tall grand emblem of history but now barely more than a few remains of the curtain wall and gatehouse. When built, the Castle was built to impress, to awe visitors with immense power and strength, built to look old as if the money was of old origins; the castle was built for show.
Originally, since approximately 907AD, there was a manor house where Farleigh Castle stands. However in 1369 Thomas Hungerford purchased the manor house and fortified it without a royal licence, but in 1383 received a pardon for doing so. Thomas fortified the castle because it was fashionable to do so at the end of the fourteenth century; he did this by adding the inner court, which consisted of four cylinder towers and a curtain wall. There are no visual remains left of the manor house as you walk through the castle but there is a well which is likely to date back to the time of the manor house as a well would have been needed. Therefore this would indicate that the manor house was situated in the middle of the inner court.
The inner court was built in 1370-1380 and parts still remain. The inner court was destroyed in the 18th century except for the southeast and west towers. It is uncertain at what period of the 18th century it was destroyed in but the English Heritage Guide book states that all but the southeast and west towers were destroyed in the 18th century. This source can be trusted as it is given to visitors who look around the castle. A website I found states that the castle was in ruins by 1701, however this cannot be backed up whereas the guidebook can. A picture of Farleigh Castle in 1733 by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck shows the castle with the northeast and west towers only slightly crumbled at the top and not destroyed. This source can be trusted as not only does the English Heritage Guide book use it, but it also has writing at the bottom of the picture about the history of the castle, which leads me to believe that they actually went there and saw it.
On the banks of the river Frome are the extensive remains of Farleigh Hungerford Castle, once a tall grand emblem of history but now barely more than a few remains of the curtain wall and gatehouse. When built, the Castle was built to impress, to awe visitors with immense power and strength, built to look old as if the money was of old origins; the castle was built for show.
Originally, since approximately 907AD, there was a manor house where Farleigh Castle stands. However in 1369 Thomas Hungerford purchased the manor house and fortified it without a royal licence, but in 1383 received a pardon for doing so. Thomas fortified the castle because it was fashionable to do so at the end of the fourteenth century; he did this by adding the inner court, which consisted of four cylinder towers and a curtain wall. There are no visual remains left of the manor house as you walk through the castle but there is a well which is likely to date back to the time of the manor house as a well would have been needed. Therefore this would indicate that the manor house was situated in the middle of the inner court.
The inner court was built in 1370-1380 and parts still remain. The inner court was destroyed in the 18th century except for the southeast and west towers. It is uncertain at what period of the 18th century it was destroyed in but the English Heritage Guide book states that all but the southeast and west towers were destroyed in the 18th century. This source can be trusted as it is given to visitors who look around the castle. A website I found states that the castle was in ruins by 1701, however this cannot be backed up whereas the guidebook can. A picture of Farleigh Castle in 1733 by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck shows the castle with the northeast and west towers only slightly crumbled at the top and not destroyed. This source can be trusted as not only does the English Heritage Guide book use it, but it also has writing at the bottom of the picture about the history of the castle, which leads me to believe that they actually went there and saw it.
