- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- c. 1070 · 11th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Commissioned by
- William de Braose, 1st Lord of Bramber
- Coordinates
- 50.8838°, -0.3163°
History
The Normans fortified the knoll above the Adur valley around 1070; the castle was the seat of administration for the new Rape of Bramber and watched over the river mouth; excavation dates the bulk of the work to 1073–1130. It was held by William de Braose, whose family came from Falaise, and by his descendants, who – apart from a short spell when King John confiscated it – kept it until 1326, when the male line failed. During the First Barons' War King John ordered Knepp Castle, elsewhere in the county, to be pulled down and its materials used to strengthen Bramber. The next owners, the Mowbrays, did not live here, and by the mid-16th century the site was described as 'the late castle' and used as pasture. In December 1643 Royalists tried and failed to take the nearby bridge over the Adur, held by a Parliamentary garrison, and in 1945 the National Trust acquired the ruins with some twelve acres of land.
What to see
The ruins are free to visit at any reasonable time in daylight and are looked after by English Heritage. The most striking survival is the roughly 14-metre wall of the gatehouse tower, with a window and the sockets of floor joists; nearby are foundations of living quarters, the motte about 10 metres high and a stretch of curtain wall. St Nicholas's Church by the entrance was built for the castle's household and is still in use. The approach is an unsurfaced track that can be muddy after rain.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q897538
Popularity: articles about this site in 10 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).