Nunney Castle is a castle in Nunney, Somerset, England.
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  Shown within Somerset
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| Building | |
| Town | Nunney |
| Country | England |
| Client | John Delamare |
| Coordinates | 51°12′36″N 2°22′42″W / 51.210°N -2.3783°ECoordinates: 51°12′36″N 2°22′42″W / 51.210°N -2.3783°E |
| Construction | |
| Started | 1373 |
Contents |
History
Construction
It is a small, French-style castle surrounded by a deep moat, built for Sir John Delamare in 1373, and said to have been based on the Bastille in Paris, and shows a strong awareness of contemporary french practice. [1] A veteran of the Hundred Years' War, Sir John would later become Sheriff of Somerset.
It was later the property of William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester, before passing to several owners and in 1577 was sold by Swithun Thorpe to John Parker who only kept it for a year before selling it to Richard Prater, at a cost of £2000. [2]
Civil War
During the English Civil Wars (1642-51) Colonel Richard Prater, who held the castle until 1645, lost it to Fairfax, the commander of Cromwell's forces in the battle that took place at Nunney. The castle was besieged for two days, but capitulated when Cromwell's men used cannon to blast a great hole in the north wall of the castle. It was never lived in again.
The castle today
Nunney Castle stands today, but all of the floors were removed or burned and the roof was removed to render it uninhabitable. Its moat, walls, and towers are still intact. The badly damaged wall finally collapsed in 1910. The castle is currently managed by English Heritage, and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[3]
Gallery
 Nunney Castle showing collapsed wall |
 Nunney Castle showing above the trees and village |
 Nunney Castle |
References
- ^ Dunning, Robert (1983). A History of Somerset. Chichester: Phillimore & Co. ISBN 0-85033-461-6.
- ^ Dunning, Robert (2005). A Somerset Miscellany. Tiverton: Somerset Books. p. 22. ISBN 0861834275.
- ^ Firth, Hannah (2007). Mendip from the air. Taunton: Somerset County Council. ISBN 9780861833900.
Related Families
There are several families that have been associated with the castle.
- Delamare Family
- Prater Family / Prather Family
- Paulet Family
Family tombs of Praters, Delamares and Paulets are in the church at Nunney.
External links
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