Monument record MDO623 - Sherborne Old Castle, Castleton

A 12th-century fortified palace built by Bishop Roger around AD 1130. The castle was destroyed in the civil war and converted into a romantic ruin by the Digby family as part of their landscaped park attached to Sherborne New Castle.

[Centred at ST 64821677] Sherborne Castle [GT] Remains of (13)

Built by Roger. Bishop of Salisbury, between 1107-1135. To this period belongs the whole of the main lay-out of the castle, including the eastern wall with its towers & gates, and the central block.

After the fall of Roger, the castle passed into the hands of the Crown with whom it remained until 1337, being returned shortly after this date to the Bishops of Salisbury.

The foundations of various buildings have been recently [written in 1952] uncovered, and date from various periods, not always determinable.

The property passed into the hands of Sir. W. Raleigh in 1592, who commenced restoration, this work was soon abandoned & the castle fell into disrepair. It was, however, held for the King in 1642, and was again besieged in 1645, surrendering on Aug. 15th of that year to Fairfax. The castle was then demolished & rendered untenable. Extensive excavations have been undertaken in recent years and are [1952] being continued.

The ruins are of interest as one of the most important examples of semi-military and semi-domestic architecture of the 12.c. (11)

Interim reports on the excavation undertaken by C.E. Bean. (10, 15)

Sherborne Castle. History and role as an important ecclesiastical and Royal church. (1, 2, 9)

Brief history of the castle. (3)

Find of other periods (ST 64821676) Ro. coin A.D. 337-350 found during work at the castle has no particular significance. (14)

Mentioned. (18)

Excavations at the Great Hall, South-West gateway and South wall. (24)

Sherborne was one of the castles of Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, siezed by King Stephen in 1139. It was captured by the Earl of Gloucester, who was apparently allowed to retain it by Henry II. Only after the Earls death in 1183 did it become a royal castle. Although thereafter in royal hands, it was a minor possession and little was done to maintain it. In 1331 it was granted to William de Montague, the future Earl of Salisbury. (22, 24)

Pre C12th features at Old Sherborne Castle. (19)

Additional references. (28, 33, 37)

Listed by Cathcart King. (27)

Additional reference. (29)

An archaeological project conducted in conjunction with repair and consolidation works at the early 12th century castle comprised standing fabric recording and a single trench excavtion between 1998-2000. Fabric recording encompassed the standing remains of the bridge and gatehouse at the main (South-West) entrance, the barbican to the North, the North-East gate, and parts of the central tower and courtyard ranges.

The stone bridge originally comprised two abutments, two arches, and a central free-standing pier. The abutments and pier retain remnants of projecting masonry which show that both former arches originally contained three broad ribs which are likely to have supported a stone vaulting. The bridge is probably 12th century. In the later mediaeval period, a stone-lined pit was inserted into the abutment next to the gatehouse, almost certainly for a wooden turning bridge, or drawbridge, which replaced the innermost stone arch.

The South-West gatehouse is an original feature of the 12th century castle, and integral in construction with the adjoining curtain wall. It was built as a three-storeyed battlemented tower with a central gate-passage and small single-chamber porter's lodge or guardroom on the ground floor, and a single unheated room on each of the two floors above. The passage appears to have had a stone vault supported by three arches or ribs, with a gate set into the middle arch.

The survey made in the areas of the barbican, North-East gate, central tower and courtyard ranges largely confrimed existing interpretation of archaeological features and their relationships. It is suggested however that the ground floors of the early 12th century West and East courtyard ranges were built with banded barrel vaults.

Excavation of a trench alongside the curtain wall to each side of the former North gate uncovered a 12th-early 13th century rubbish dump made up largely of kitchen waste. Finds from the dump include numerous fragments of cooking pot and tripod pitchers together with well-preserved environmental evidence comprising a substantial collection of animal, fish and plant remains. (35)

Built by Bishop Roger of Salisbury in the 12th century as a strongly defended palace, Sherborne Old Castle became a powerful Royalist base during the Civil War. Described as 'malicious and mischievous' by Cromwell, it fell in 1645 after a fierce eleven-day siege. Sherborne 'New' Castle is nearby. (39)

Scientific report published in 2001 presents results of the examination of charred plant material and charcoal from late 12th-early 13th century deposits at Sherborne Old Castle. This is believed to be kitchen waste. It is dominated by cereal grain and weed seeds. (34)

<1> Wildman, W B, 1902, A Short History of Sherborne (Monograph). SDO18001.

<2> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1930, The Archaeological Journal 87, 422-7 (Serial). SDO18000.

Includes supplements to vols. 105 & 106.

<3> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1935, The Archaeological Journal 92, 78 (Serial). SDO18002.

<4> Farrar, R A H (ed), 1949, Archaeological Notes, 1949; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SWX9303.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1950, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1949, 68 (Serial). SDO49.

<6> Bean, C E, 1950, Excavations at Sherborne Old Castle; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10301.

<7> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1951, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1950, 93-94 (Serial). SDO50.

<8> Bean, C E, 1951, Excavations at Sherborne Old Castle; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10286.

<9> Fowler, J, 1951, Mediaeval Sherborne (Monograph). SDO10392.

<10> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1952, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1951, 106-109 (Serial). SDO51.

<11> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 64-66 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(4) Sherborne Old Castle, ruins and moat, stands in the E. part of the parish. The walls are of local rubble with ashlar and dressings of freestone. The castle was built by Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, between 1107 and 1135. To this period belongs the whole of the main lay-out of the castle, including the curtainwall with its towers and gates and the central block. This central block differs from nearly every other contemporary castle in that the keep formed a part only of a block of buildings surrounding a central courtyard which was itself provided with alleys like a cloister; recent excavation has revealed the 12th-century plinth of the alley walls on all four sides. In the light of this it is probable that such an arrangement existed in the castle at Old Sarum, also built by Bishop Roger, where there is a space of considerable size in the centre of the so-called "great tower". At Sherborne the keep occupies the S.W. angle of the block and though it has a forebuilding on the W. this forebuilding never formed a part of the entrance to the keep, which seems always to have been by a staircase in the adjoining range on the N. An addition made on the S. side of the keep is of later date.
After the fall of Roger the castle passed into the hands of the Crown with whom it remained till 1337 and it was returned shortly after to the bishops of Salisbury. The foundations of various buildings have been uncovered recently and date from various periods not always determinable. The 12th-century N. gateway seems originally to have had a long barbican descending the slope on the outer side of the moat. Probably in the 13th century the moat at this point was filled in and the gate and barbican joined up by two buildings with a wing-work on either side. The property passed into the hands of Sir Walter Raleigh in 1592 and he began to restore the castle, inserting windows and adding a staircase and terrace on the W. side of the keep. These works were soon abandoned, and the castle fell into disrepair. It was, however, held for the king in 1642 and was again besieged three years later; on this occasion it held out against Fairfax for sixteen days and surrendered on August 15th, 1645; the castle was then partly demolished and rendered untenable. Extensive excavations have been undertaken in recent years and are being continued.
The ruins are of high interest as one of the most important examples of semi-military and semi-domestic architecture of the 12th century.
The Site of about 3½ acres occupies the flat top of a rise, the ground falling away on each side. The earthworks have been considerably damaged; they consist of a deep ditch with an outer rampart for most of its length. The defences on the E. have been largely destroyed; on the N. the ditch has been turned outwards on each side of the extended entrance; on the N.W. the bank has been widened. An outer defencework on the W., semi-hexagonal on plan and with a triangular extension at a slightly lower level to the N., may date from the Civil War. The S.W. gateway is approached by a causeway. The ditch on the S. side is partly rock-cut and is from 26 ft. to 32 ft. in depth below the base of the curtain-wall, the outer rampart has been made up to carry a later pathway.
The S. W. Gatehouse (Plate 90) is a square structure of the 12th century, ashlar-faced and of four storeys with a battered plinth and clasping buttresses. The N.W. angle stands to its full height but the S. side is more ruined. On the W. face, the facing of the outer archway has gone and only the segmental rear-arch remains; at the springing-level is the socket for a cross-beam above the gates. On the floor above is a round-headed window stripped of its dressings but retaining its moulded label. On the second floor is a late 16th-century window of three square-headed lights; there is a similar window in the top floor. At the N.W. angle is a chimney-stack probably a late 16th-century addition built of 12th-century masonry; at the base of the stack are three vent-holes and at the top is a pyramidal capping and three round-headed openings. On the E. face, the inner archway has a segmental head of one plain order with moulded labels. On the first floor is an original window similar to that in the W. face and much robbed. On the second floor is a three-light late 16th-century window and there are remains of a similar window on the floor above. The side walls have each an original round-headed window, with a label, on the first floor, outside the curtain; on the N. side there is a second window, robbed of its dressings, within the curtain. On the second floor on each face is a round-headed doorway opening on to the wallwalk of the curtain; both have been robbed. Inside the building the gate-hall had a central doorway of which parts of the nibs remain; in the S.E. angle is a staircase now having no entrance on the ground floor owing to modern repair; in the N.E. angle is a small chamber with a barrel-vault springing from moulded string-courses. The upper floors have each the remains of a fireplace, probably all inserted late in the 16th century. The tower was originally roofed with a pent-roof within the walls; the higher end on the W. was at the later roof-level and the lower end on the E. at the level of the second floor; the rake of the roof is preserved on the internal S. wall and two pieces of raking weathering on the returns of the clasping buttresses at the lower level seem to imply that the E. wall above this point was an afterthought; this early roof was subsequently replaced by the two upper storeys. The present approach to the gate is comparatively modern, but recent excavations have revealed part of the inner and outer abutments and part of a central pier: the inner span probably had a drawbridge and the outer span a masonry arch.
The Curtain enclosed an area about 470 ft. by 330 ft. with diagonal walls across the angles forming an octagon. Except for the first 15 yards, the curtain N. of the S.W. gate has been destroyed to the ground-level. Excavation has uncovered the base of a 12th-century rectangular tower astride the curtain where the wall turns N.E.; one stone of the S. jamb of the doorway remains; at the outer end is a garderobe pit; adjoining the S.E. angle is the foundation perhaps of a staircase to the wall-walk. The curtain on the N.W. and on most of the N. faces has been destroyed to the ground-level. Near the middle of the N. face excavation has uncovered the base of a 12th-century gateway; in this period there was probably a drawbridge across the moat connecting this gateway with a long passage or barbican descending the hill; this gap seems to have been replaced, in the 13th century, by an extension of the gateway and by a chamber to the N.; the extension has a battered plinth and a portcullis-groove and had two flights of steps within the passage; the chamber to the N. (30 ft. by 14 ft.) had a sloping floor and a series of external offsets. Under the N.E. angle is the base of the 12th-century buttress of the barbican; flanking the 13th-century buildings are the remains of wing-works, also probably of the 13th century, with circular turrets at the outer angles; the ashlar-faced base of the N.W. turret remains. Beyond the 13th-century work to the N. is a long descending corridor of 12th-century date and formerly roofed with a descending barrel-vault. The E. wall has remains of one and the W. wall of two small windows with round heads. At the N. end the walls have a battered buttress and diagonal wing-walls supporting the thrust of the raking vault; there are no remains of any original gate or doorway at the N. end; between the buttressed ends is an inserted doorway of which the rebated jambs remain. The W. wing-wall has a late continuation in rubble and probably of the 17th century; within the entrance is a well, probably of the same date. The greater part of this unusual entrance has been recovered in the recent excavations. The E. end of the N. curtain and part of the N.E. curtain is standing to a height of about 25 ft. At the junction with the E. curtain excavation has uncovered the base of a gateway and tower, with a chamfered plinth and probably of the 12th century. There are remains of the central passage-way and 8 yards outward in the moat is the base of a 12th-century pier of a former bridge or drawbridge; the rubble core of a second pier survives further to the E. The E. curtain is standing in one fragment to a height of about 20 ft. Against its northern end the foundations of an adjoining building with two doorways have been uncovered; within it is a block of 12th-century masonry perhaps supporting a staircase to the wall-walk. The S.E. curtain has been destroyed above ground; at its N. end there appears to have been a 12th-century tower astride the curtain, and traces of the junction of its N. wall with the curtain have been uncovered. The S. curtain has been largely destroyed, but three fragments of it are still standing. The S.W. curtain is standing for its whole length to the height of the wall-walk.
The main block (Plate 91) of the castle-building stands in the middle of the bailey and consists of the keep to the S.W., with three ranges forming a courtyard to the E. Foundations of various subsidiary buildings have also been found.
The Keep consists of a main block, a forebuilding on the S.W. and an extension on the S. The main block (54 ft. by 41 ft. without the buttresses) is a building of c. 1130 and of at least three stages; the walls are of rubble, and the dressings are of freestone. The main block has on the ground floor a dividing wall running N. and S. and supporting two barrel-vaults; the S. end of this building was removed perhaps in Raleigh's restoration and an addition made; the foundations of the earlier S. wall have been uncovered; the barrelvaults are run on into groined vaults supported by a cylindrical column with a scalloped capital brought from elsewhere in the building; much of the vaulting has been rebuilt. There are three rough openings at the N. end of this stage, one, in the W. wall, has been blocked. On the E. wall are the junctions of the side walls of the former S. range and a string-course, formerly internal, with cheveron-ornament. The S. wall of the extension has a central buttress of segmental form, of which the ashlar-faced base remains; it is flanked by gaps probably representing windows, and there is a gap in the W. wall; much of the masonry is modern repair. The S.W. angle of the keep with the adjoining S. wall of the forebuilding is standing to the top of the third stage and adjoining it is the stump of the wall of the later addition; this has the N. jambs of two late 16th-century windows; the upper part of the main buttress retains its ashlar-facing. The forebuilding has clasping buttresses at the W. angles; the N.W. buttress has a door-check on its W. face. The W. wall of the main block is standing at least to the first-floor level; it has an intermediate and a N.W. clasping buttress. Against the N. wall of the forebuilding and returning on the W. wall of the main block is a late 16th-century stone staircase and terrace; the S. flight is complete and the lowest steps of the return flight; stone balusters from the balustrade have been found on the spot. The second stage of the main block has fireplaces of uncertain date in the N. and W. walls; the latter would seem to be later than the passage with steps in the thickness of the wall to the N.; this passage is entered by a round-headed opening and has an original communication with the second stage of the forebuilding. The ground stage of the forebuilding has no apparent means of access. Against the N. wall of the keep are the remains of the original staircase giving access to the first floor; it forms part of the adjoining range and had a barrel-vaulted roof ramped round at the W. end where it still survives.
The 12th-century W. Range running N. from the keep has the W. wall standing to a considerable height except for a large gap in the middle; it has pilasterbuttresses and a moulded string-course. There are remains of windows, that on the first floor with the base of an internal jamb-shaft and an adjoining internal string-course; at the N. end is a small chamber in the thickness of the wall. The E. wall of this range has been largely destroyed except where it adjoins the N. range; at the point of junction are the remains of a doorway and a window. The range had a rubble barrel-vault of which the springing remains on the E. wall against the N. range. The N. Range forms the N. side of a small courtyard. It is a two-storeyed building of the 12th century and possibly contained the chapel on the first floor. It is of four bays with clasping and pilaster buttresses on the N. side. Much of the S. wall stands to nearly its full height and the E. wall and the E. bay of the N. wall stand to about the same level; the rest of the N. wall is much more ruined. The ground-floor had a groined rubble vault over the three E. bays and a barrel-vault over the W. bay, now all fallen in. In the E. wall are remains of a doorway. In the N. wall are remains of former windows and openings; in the S. wall is a large gap representing a former doorway or window and, further W., a round-headed doorway. The apartment on the first floor is approached by a long flight of steps in the N. end of the E. range and ramped round at the top; this had a barrel-vault. In the E. wall are the remains of a round-headed window with cheveron-ornament; below it, internally, are remains of an intersecting wall-arcade of which the scalloped capital of the S.E. angle-shaft remains in situ with a fragment of the billeted string-course above. In the E. bay of the N. wall is a window (Plate 210) of one round-headed light; the head is of two orders with cheveron-ornament and a label with billet-ornament; the inner order is continuous, but the outer order springs from shafts with crocketed or scalloped capitals; the E. shaft is missing. Both this and the S. wall had an internal wall-arcade of intersecting arches of which traces remain in places. In the S. wall are the moulded and fluted jambs and head of one round-headed window and the gaps of two others; these were included under an external wall-arcade of intersecting arches, of which two lengths survive, they spring from scalloped or enriched capitals, but the shafts are missing though some of the bases survive. On the internal face of the wall are remains of a later staircase and the segmental ashlarbacking of a recess. Much of this wall has been repaired and refaced in modern times. The E. Range running S. from the chapel-block has been much ruined. The E. wall has pilaster-buttresses and in each of the three bays is an original window one of which retains its external round head. In the surviving part of the W. wall is one original window with external jambs of two splayed orders, with a square inner and a round outer head. The ground-floor, formerly divided by a cross-wall, had a rubble barrel-vault of which the springing remains on the E. wall. Part of the S. wall has been uncovered by excavation and in it is the W. jamb of a doorway. Adjoining the range on the S.E. the foundations of a later building have been uncovered, including a pit about 10 ft. by 9 ft. and a second pit to the S.
The S. Range which probably contained the Great Hall on the first floor has been almost entirely destroyed, but it certainly existed as foundations of the N. and S. walls have been found and the indications on the E. face of the keep can be most reasonably explained by the former existence of a high building of the same age of which the butt-ends of the side-walls remain; furthermore the string-course with cheveron-ornament is not represented on any other face of the keep. This string-course, formerly internal, and of some decorative importance, is at a considerable height above the ground and in order to be a reasonable height above the dais the hall itself must have been on the first floor; well below the string-course are sockets in the wall.
The recent excavations have uncovered the remains of various other buildings including some of a fragmentary character on the N. side of the site and others, more important, to the S.E. of the site and to the W. of the keep. Those to the S.E. adjoin the S. range of the courtyard and include a kitchen containing three stone bases for timber posts and a large fireplace at the N. end. Those by the keep include a building extending W. from the forebuilding and provided with pilaster and clasping buttresses, presumably of the end of the 12th century. A much later building adjoins it on the S. and there are traces of a N. wing. These and other foundations are indicated on the plan. The roughly circular building to the N.E. of the main block is probably a 17th-century structure and overlies an earlier foundation.
On a knoll to the N.E. of the moat are the foundations of a small building of indeterminate date and character.’

<12> Bean, C E, 1952, Excavations at Sherborne Old Castle; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10302.

<13> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1953, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1952, 107-108 (Serial). SDO52.

<14> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F1 FDC 26-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<15> Bean, C E, 1955, Excavations at Sherborne Old Castle. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, p.141-2 (Article in serial). SDO10303.

<16> Bean, C E, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: C E Bean, Oral: C E Bean 15-JUL-55 (Hon Com) (Verbal communication). SDO17480.

<17> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1956, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1955, 141-142 (Serial). SDO55.

<18> Allen Brown, R, Colvin, H M, and Taylor, A J, 1963, The history of the King's Works, Volume 2: the Middle Ages, 825, 832-3 (Monograph). SDO18003.

<19> Webster, L E, and Cherry, J, 1974, Dorset: Castleton, Sherborne Old Castle; Medieval Archaeology, p.195 (Article in serial). SDO10318.

<20> Chalk, R A, and Chase, S T, 1975, Resistivity Survey at Sherborne Old Castle (Unpublished document). SDO16506.

<21> Keen, L, 1976, Castleton. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10317.

<22> Jarvis, K, 1977, Department of the Environment Archaeological Excavations 1976, 21 (Article in serial). SWX4074.

<23> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1978, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1976, 54 (Serial). SDO76.

<24> The Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1979, Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology, 260 (Serial). SDO18004.

<25> Harrison, B P, and Williams, D F, 1979, Sherborne Old Castle, Dorset: medieval pottery fabrics; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10319.

<26> White, P, 1983, Sherborne Old Castle; Archaeological Journal (Article in serial). SDO10572.

<27> Cathcart-King, D J, 1983, Castellarium anglicanum: an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands, 128 (Monograph). SDO16340.

<28> Department of the Environment, 1986, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Dorset (Parishes of Trent,Sandford Orcas,Over Compton,Nether Compton,Castleton,Oborne,Poyntington,Bradford Abbas,Clifton Maybank,Thornford,North Wootton, Haydon, Purse Caundle & Goathill), P11 VOL 1611 (Scheduling record). SDO16437.

<29> Ordnance Survey, 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain, 82 (Monograph). SDO18005.

<30> Trott, M, 1988, Sherborne Old Castle, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO17263.

<31> Wessex Archaeology, 1992, Summary List of Projects in Dorset 1992 (Unpublished document). SWX9199.

<32> Reilly, S, 1996, Sherborne Old Castle, Sherborne, Dorset. Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SDO16666.

<33> DCMS, 1997, Scheduled Monument Notification 1997, 03-Jul-97 (Scheduling record). SDO17426.

<34> Smith, W, 2000, Medieval Charred Plant Remains and Charcoal from Sherborne Old Castle, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO16467.

<35> Brown, S, and Matthews, A, 2001, Sherborne Old Castle, Castleton, Dorset. Archaeological fabric recording and excavation 1998-2000 (Unpublished document). SDO10410.

<36> Vartuca, Franco A, 2005, Sherborne Old Castle, Sherborne, Dorset. Programme of Archaeological Recording for English Heritage (Unpublished document). SDO17262.

<37> English Heritage, 2005, Register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England: Dorset (Revised), Part 12 (Monograph). SDO17438.

<38> Steinmetzer, M F R, 2009, Archaeological monitoring of a new water main at the Old Castle, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO14493.

<39> EnglIsh Heritage, English Heritage Members' and Visitors' handbook 2008/9, 115 (Monograph). SDO18006.

<40> National Monuments Record, NMR Monument Record, ST 61 NW 47; NMR UID: 650832 (Index). SDO9937.

<41> Historic England, Historic England Archive, PF/SOC (Index). SDO14738.

Sherborne Old Castle, Dorset. 138 drawings mainly from the 1950s to 1990s with the largest group being from the 1970s. In addition to many site plans and shaded plans showing standing walls and those yet to be excavated, many of the drawings show proposals for works on the site. There are plans for proposed gates on the north-western edge of the grounds dating from the 1950s, designs for a ticket office from the 1970s and drawings of an access bridge at the south-west gatehouse throughout the 1970s and 1980s. There are a number of survey drawings including a topographical survey of the whole site in 1974, a photogrammetric survey of the central buildings and rectified photography of the curtain wall. Three of the plans for Sherborne Old Castle are oversized.

<42> Historic England, Historic England Archive, IC088 (Index). SDO14738.

Sherborne Old Castle, Dorset. Seven sheets of reconstruction illustrations and two orientation illustrations depicting Sherborne Old Castle in Dorset.There are seven sheets of reconstruction illustrations created by Philip Corke in 2000 or 2001, depicting the castle and its component structures throughout the development of the site. Please note that sheet IC088/003 contains two illustrations on one sheet; these have also been scanned and recorded as seperate drawings under the numbers IC088/003A and IC088/003B.The set also includes an orientation illustration giving an aerial view of the site in the present day, created in 2001 by Peter Dunn and intended to be reproduced as part of an orientation map for visitors to the site. There is an additional orientation illustration created by Liam Wales in 2016.There is also one black and white preliminary sketch, created by Peter Dunn. This has not been catalogued at item level.

<43> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP10435 (Index). SDO14738.

Old Sherborne Castle was built by Roger, bishop of Salisbury in 1107-1135. Some of the Norman arcading can still be seen. Sir Walter Raleigh began to restore the castle in 1592, but abandoned his plans and instead built New Sherborne Castle nearby.

<44> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24502 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of Sherborne Old Castle's south-west gatehouse. This print was received by the National Buildings Record on 28th November 1952.

<45> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24503 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of the overgrown ruins of Sherborne Old Castle

<46> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24504 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of Sherborne Old Castle's south-west gatehouse from the north-east

<47> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24505 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of part of a wall at Sherborne Old Castle

<48> Historic England, Historic England Archive, P/A07378/009 (Index). SDO14738.

Detail of part of a wall at an unidentified location in Sherborne Old Castle

<49> Historic England, Historic England Archive, FL01629 (Index). SDO14738.

Sherborne Old Castle, Castleton, Dorset This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.

<50> Historic England, Historic England Archive, FL01628 (Index). SDO14738.

Sherborne Old Castle, Castleton, Dorset This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.

<51> Historic England, Historic England Archive, FL01042 (Index). SDO14738.

Sherborne Old Castle, Castleton, Dorset. This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.

<52> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BF113659 (Index). SDO14738.

Sherborne Old Castle, Castleton

<53> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB81/02228 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of Sherborne Old Castle's south-west gatehouse

<54> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 2K/18243 (Index). SDO14738.

Sherborne Old Castle, Castleton

<55> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24506 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of a column at Sherborne Old Castle

<56> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199485 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 20 2023 2:50PM