Sherborne Old Castle

Sherborne Old Castle is an episcopal castle dating from around 1107-1135, built by Roger, bishop of Salisbury. Sir Walter Raleigh began restoration work in 1592, but this was soon abandoned. The castle was partially demolished in 1645, rendering it untenable.

The castle is constructed of rubble-stone walls with close-jointed ashlar facing and freestone dressings. The curtain wall enclosed a roughly octagonal area, approximately 470 feet by 330 feet, with diagonal walls forming the angles. Sections of the curtain wall remain, particularly on the southwest side, with portions on the north, south, and east walls. The southwest gatehouse, of the 12th century, stands four stories high and features a battered plinth and clasping buttresses. Parts of the northwest angle are well-preserved, while the south side is more ruined. The outer archway’s facing on the west face is lost, leaving only the segmental rear-arch. Raleigh’s 16th-century restorations and alterations are also visible.

A northwest tower exists only as foundations, whilst the north gate and barbican have been revealed by excavation, and date to the 12th and 13th centuries. Flanking these 13th-century buildings are the remains of wing-works with circular turrets at the outer angles. The site of a northeast gate and a southeast tower are identifiable.

At the centre of the bailey stands the keep and attached courtyard buildings. The keep, of the 12th century, has at least three stages. The ground floor has a dividing wall running north and south, creating two barrel vaults which transition into groined vaults, supported by a cylindrical column with a scalloped capital. The south wall of an extension features a centrally placed buttress of segmental form. The southwest angle of the keep adjoins the south wall of the forebuilding, which stands to the top of the third stage. The forebuilding has clasping buttresses at the west angles. A late 16th-century stone staircase and terrace abut the north wall of the forebuilding.

Three ranges of buildings, and an excavated southern range, surround the central courtyard, originally featuring cloister-walks. The west range, running north from the keep, displays pilaster buttresses and a moulded string-course on its west wall. The east wall of this range is largely destroyed and contains a rubble barrel vault. The north range, of two stories and four bays, has clasping and pilaster buttresses externally. The upper floor retains round-headed windows decorated with chevron and billet detailing, while the ground floor is vaulted with groined rubble over three eastern bays and a barrel vault over the western bay. Internal wall-arcading with intersecting arches remains in traces. The floor above may have housed a chapel. The east range is significantly ruined, with the east hall retaining original windows in three bays. The south range, whose north and south walls have been found through excavation, likely housed the great hall, with remains of a rubble barrel-vaulted ground floor. The castle was held for the Crown in 1642 and 1645.