Castles · South East England
Castle Hill
Castle Hill — castle in Mere, Wiltshire.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Gillingham · 6.3 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Castle Hill is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in Mere, Wiltshire". Coordinates: 51.0910°, -2.2728°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Castle Hill, also called Mere Castle, was a medieval fortification built by Richard, the Earl of Cornwall, in 1253 on a hill overlooking the town of Mere, Wiltshire, England. The castle was constructed in stone, with six towers, inner buildings and gates. It was abandoned in the 14th century and stripped of its stone and metalwork. Only earthworks remain in the 21st century.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
Official information
Eighteenth-century landscape garden surrounding a Palladian mansion built in 1730 for the Fortescue family.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Castle Hill, also called Mere Castle, was a medieval fortification built by Richard, the Earl of Cornwall, in 1253 on a hill overlooking the town of Mere, Wiltshire, England. The castle was constructed in stone, with six towers, inner buildings and gates. It was abandoned in the 14th century and stripped of its stone and metalwork. Only earthworks remain in the 21st century.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
The village of Mere was a small and unimportant settlement in the early 13th century. In 1243 Richard, the Earl of Cornwall, acquired the manor. In 1253 he began to build a castle at Mere. The castle was probably entered from the west, with a possible road running up the south side of the hill. At the same time the village was expanded into a planned town with an unofficial market. The castle was renovated in 1300, possibly in response to the threat of rebellion in England at the time.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.0910, -2.2728
- District
- Wiltshire
- Parish
- Mere
- Postcode
- BA12 6JF
- Parliamentary constituency
- South West Wiltshire
- Nearest railway station
- Gillingham — 6.3 km
- Official site
- meremuseum.org
Sources
- wikidata: Q5050123 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Castle Hill, Mere (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Mere Hill, Wiltshire.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Castle Hill?
- Castle Hill is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode BA12 6JF), in the parish of Mere.
- Is Castle Hill a listed building?
- Castle Hill is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Castle Hill a protected site?
- Yes — Castle Hill is part of the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape (AONB).
- Does Castle Hill charge admission?
- Castle Hill typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Castle Hill?
- The nearest railway station is Gillingham, about 6.3 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BA12 6JF.