Historic Environment Record
HER 1682 - Farnham Castle: 12Th Century
Scheduled Monument
Farnham Castle consists of a keep, bailey, curtain wall and outer ditch of a castle dating from the 12th century. Excavations within the keep in 1958-9 revealed much of the castle's development. It was constructed in 1138 on the orders of Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester. A stone tower, perhaps as much as 35m high and with a central well shaft, was built first. Its base was then buried with chalk to form a 10m high mound around the tower. To the south of this original keep was a triangular arrangement of buildings including kitchens, a chapel and a hall, all enclosed within a ditch. These buildings, are Grade I Listed Buildings.
After 1155, when Henry II had the original keep pulled down, the castle was rebuilt in the form of a shell keep some 50m in diameter with rooms in the four towers. The bailey was enlarged to its present limits, the huge 40m wide ditch was dug and the curtain wall with its square mural towers and gatehouse was erected. During the 13th-15th centuries, domestic buildings continued to be built within the new keep and some 15th century brickwork can be seen over the entrance. The keep was abandoned after the Civil War and was finally used as a garden in the Victorian period. Scheduled Monument
| Record Type | Monument |
|---|---|
| Protection Status |
|
| Scheduled Monument Number | 12848 |
| Condition | Good |
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| Grid Reference | SU 837 473 |
|---|---|
| Parish | Farnham |
| Parish (old name) | Farnham |
| District | Waverley, Surrey |
| Map Square | SU84NW |
| Evidence Type | Monument Type | Date Range: |
|---|---|---|
| BUILDING STRUCTURE SUB SURFACE DEPOSIT | CASTLE MOTTE | Medieval Post Medieval 12th Century 16th Century 17th Century |
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This is the record of an archaeological site, find, a historic building or a park and garden from Surrey’s Historic Environment Record (HER).The HER is the most up-to-date and comprehensive record of known archaeology within Surrey, and a great starting point for research into any aspect of the historic environment of Surrey.
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