Castles · South East England
Dorchester Castle
Dorchester Castle was a motte and bailey castle in the market town of Dorchester, Dorset, southern England (grid reference SY692909).
Sarah Smith — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Dorchester Castle was a motte and bailey castle in the market town of Dorchester, Dorset, southern England (grid reference SY692909).
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
Dorchester Castle was a motte and bailey castle in the market town of Dorchester, Dorset, southern England (grid reference SY692909).
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The date that the castle was built is unclear. Between 1154 and 1175 it was in possession of the Earl of Cornwall and it had become a royal possession by 1185. Both Henry III and John spent money on the castle. It appears to have been disused from about 1290 and there are references to its stonework being reused by the Chidlock family to build Dorchester Greyfriars in 1309. Certainly it was abandoned by 1422. Dorchester Prison occupies its site – originally to the north of the town, with a Franciscan Priory further east, but nothing of the castle or the priory remain. However, in 1720, two underground passages were discovered while building a chapel: these once connected the castle to the…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.7170, -2.4370
- District
- Dorset
- Parish
- Dorchester
- Postcode
- DT1 1WU
- Parliamentary constituency
- West Dorset
- Official site
- dorsetcountymuseum.org
Sources
- wikipedia: Dorchester Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Dorchester Castle?
- Dorchester Castle is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode DT1 1WU), in the parish of Dorchester.
- Does Dorchester Castle charge admission?
- Dorchester Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Dorchester Castle?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode DT1 1WU. It sits within the West Dorset parliamentary constituency.