FARNHAM CASTLE

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The keep, bailey, curtain wall and outer ditch of the castle date 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 35 metres high and with a central well shaft, was built first. Its base was then buried with chalk to form a 10 metre high mound around the tower. To the south of this original keep was a triangular arrangement of buildings including kitchens, a chapel and great hall, enclosed within a ditch. After 1155, when Henry II had the original keep pulled down, the castle was rebuilt in the form of a shell keep some 50 metres in diameter with rooms in the 4 towers. The bailey was enlarged to its present limits, the 40 metre wide ditch was dug and the curtain wall with its square mural towers and gatehouse were built. A north aisle was added to the chapel in the 13th century, but later demolished. Between 1470 and 1475, a 3 storey, brick tower, now known as Fox's Tower, was built to the south west of the hall. The hall itself was remodelled and refronted in the late 17th century, and a new chapel was added to the eastern range circa 1670. Stables were built south west of the keep in the early 18th century. The keep was abandoned after the Civil War and was used as a garden during the early 19th century.

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[SU 83724732] Farnham Castle [G.T.]. (1)

Farnham Castle: as described by the M.O.W. Guide, q.v. Illustrations Card.
Part occupied at present by the Overseas Service College. In excellent condition.
Published 1/1250 survey revised. (2)

Details of the architecture of the Castle Hall. (3)

Main posts of the Great Hall survive with an interesting later roof. One post examined, showed a decorative capital integral with its post, empty sockets give a clue that the arcade plates fitted in manner of lintels, therefore no scarfing was needed. The stylistic grounds and great size indicate a Norman date. (4)

Additional reference to motte construction. (5)

A plan of Farnham Castle. at a scale of 25" to one mile drawn by Mr Edward Andrews Downham of Laindon, essex, between 1889 and 1905 is in Kingston Museum, Ref S(913) No.3666. (6)

A brief history of the castle before 1200 AD. (7)

A detailed report on two groups of late- and post-medieval pottery from the excavations of 1958-60. (8)

The keep, bailey, curtain wall and outer ditch of the castle date 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 35 metres high and with a central well shaft, was built first. Its base was then buried with chalk to form a 10 metre high mound around the tower. To the south of this original keep was a triangular arrangement of buildings including kitchens, a chapel and great hall, all enclosed within a ditch. After 1155, when Henry II had the original keep pulled down, the castle was rebuilt in the form of a shell keep some 50 metres in diameter with rooms in the 4 towers. The bailey was enlarged to its present limits, the 40 metre wide ditch was dug and the curtain wall with its square nural towers and gatehouse were built. 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 used as a garden during the early 19th century. (9-11)

Listed by Cathcart King. (12)

Additional reference. (13)

A north aisle was added to the chapel in the 13th century, but later demolished. Between 1470 and 1475, a 3 storey, brick tower, now known as Fox's Tower, was built to the south west of the hall. The hall itself was remodelled and refronted in the late 17th century, and a new chapel was added to the eastern range circa 1670. Stables were built south west of the keep in the early 18th century. (14, 15)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 13-OCT-66

(3) Margaret Wood 1974 Norman domestic architecture

Royal Archaeological Institute monograph series Page(s)51-2

(4) by Cecil A Hewett 1980 English historic carpentry

Page(s)38-9, 56

(5) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

N Reynolds 19, 1975 Page(s)203

(6) Bulletin of the Surrey Archaeological Society

Surrey Archaeological Society Bulletin, 169, 1980, 5-6 (Field, Nicholayson) 169 Page(s)5-6

(7) Farnham and District Museum Society newsletter

C Windeatt 7, March 1985 Page(s)139-40

(8) by Stephen Moorhouse 1971 Two late- and post-medieval pottery groups from Farnham Castle, Surrey

Surrey archaeological collections : relating to the history and antiquities of the Countyvol 1 (1858) - 68 Page(s)39-55

(9) Scheduled Monument Notification

09-JUL-1991

(10) by Bernard C Worssam 1996 The building stones of Farnham Castle. Research project : early timber halls in England, interim report no.7

(11) English Heritage Register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England

Surrey PART 40

(12) David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands

2 Page(s)465

(13) edited by Peter Furtado et al 1988 Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain

Page(s)54

(14) by Ian Nairn and Nikolaus Pevsner ; revised by Bridget Cherry 1971 Surrey

The buildings of England Page(s)232-235

(15) edited by H E Malden 1905 The Victoria history of the county of Surrey: volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)599-602

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