Castles · South West England
Taunton Castle
Taunton Castle — fortified castle in Somerset, England, UK.
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
- Taunton · 1.2 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Taunton Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1129. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Wikidata describes it as: "fortified castle in Somerset, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.0153°, -3.1138°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Taunton Castle is a castle built to defend the town of Taunton, Somerset, England. It has origins in the Anglo Saxon period and was later the site of a priory. The Normans then built a stone structured castle, which belonged to the Bishops of Winchester. The current heavily reconstructed buildings are the inner ward, which now houses the Museum of Somerset and the Somerset Military Museum. The building was designated a grade I listed building in 1952.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- National Nature Reserve: SOMERSET WETLANDS
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Taunton Castle is a castle built to defend the town of Taunton, Somerset, England. It has origins in the Anglo Saxon period and was later the site of a priory. The Normans then built a stone structured castle, which belonged to the Bishops of Winchester. The current heavily reconstructed buildings are the inner ward, which now houses the Museum of Somerset and the Somerset Military Museum. The building was designated a grade I listed building in 1952.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
Taunton was a typical Norman keep of the first half of the twelfth century, 50 ft long by 40 ft wide, By 1780, many parts of the castle had fallen into a bad condition and were repaired in a Georgian style by Sir Benjamin Hammet, a banker of Lombard Street, London, and the Member of Parliament for Taunton. In 1786 he purchased the grant as bailiff and keeper of Taunton Castle in the names of his sons and his nephew. He put on a new roof, inserted many windows and recast many other details all round the castle. During the 18th and 19th centuries the Great Hall was used for public meetings. In 1908–9 the Adam Library was created to house the society's growing collection of books.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.0153, -3.1138
- District
- Somerset
- Parish
- Taunton
- Postcode
- TA1 5AW
- Parliamentary constituency
- Taunton and Wellington
- Established
- 1129
- Nearest railway station
- Taunton — 1.2 km
- Official site
- swheritage.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q7688781 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Taunton Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Taunton Castle.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Taunton Castle?
- Taunton Castle is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode TA1 5AW), in the parish of Taunton.
- When was Taunton Castle built?
- Built or established in 1129.
- Is Taunton Castle a listed building?
- Taunton Castle is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
- Is Taunton Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Taunton Castle is part of the SOMERSET WETLANDS National Nature Reserve.
- Does Taunton Castle charge admission?
- Taunton Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Taunton Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Taunton, about 1.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode TA1 5AW.