Bodiam Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Bodeham; Bodiham; Bodyham

In the civil parish of Bodiam.
In the historic county of Sussex (Modern Authority of East Sussex, 1974 county of East Sussex).

Medieval castle probably built in the years after 1385 when Sir Edward Dalingridge was licensed to crenellate. Comprising a court yard with four corner round towers and projecting square towers in the centre of the south, east and west sides, the whole is set within a wide moat. The main entrance is on the north side and is flanked by two projecting square towers, outside of which but still within the moat are a barbican and octagonal outwork. The castle was partly dismantled during the Civil War, but was restored and presented to the National Trust in 1919. Formerly regarded as a 'textbook' example of a Medieval castle, field investigation in 1988 revealed that rather than being a defensive work the castle was probably the centrepiece of an elaborate designed landscape involving sheets of water, the whole designed to be passed through and also viewed from above.

Revisionist arguments sometimes underplay the defensive features of this castle; ignoring the defensive capability of a 'drained' moat (mud is a considerable barrier) and forgetting that the barbican, an important defensive feature, has been demolished. However, it is clear that Bodiam was never built as a military fortress and that it is fundamentally a domestic house decorated and embellished with martial symbolism.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1385 Oct 21.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 292338)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ78562562

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 414651

• Web site links
  • http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Bodiam-Castle.html
    http://www.castlegate.net/castles/bodiam/bodiam1.htm
    http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/bodiam%20castle.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/199/bodiamcastle.htm
    http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/places/bodiamcastle/
    http://vrcoll.fa.pitt.edu/medart/image/England/bodiam/mainbodiam.html
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/bodiam/bodiam.php
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_bodiam.htm
    http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/easy_results.asp?index=1&main_query=Bodiam%20Castle
    http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Bodiam-Castle.html0
    http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Bodiam-Castle.html1
    http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Bodiam-Castle.html2
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p317-8, 440
    Jones, R., 2003, 'Hastings to Herstmonceux: the castles of Sussex' in Rudling, D. (ed) The archaeology of Sussex to AD2000 (Great Dunham: Heritage Marketing and Publications) p171-8
    Morris, M., 2003, Castle p142-82
    Johnson, M., 2002, Behind the Castle Gate p19-33
    Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Sussex (Malvern) p24-7
    Everson, Paul, 1996, 'Bodiam Castle, East Sussex: a Fourteenth-Century Designed Landscape' in Morgan Evan, D., Salway, P. and Thackray D. (eds) The Remains of Distant Times: Archaeology and the National Trust (Woodbridge) p66-72
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p245-6 [plan]
    Coulson, Charles, 1992, 'Some Analysis of the Castle of Bodiam, East Sussex' in Harper-Bill, Christopher and Harvey, Ruth (eds), Medieval Knighthood Vol4 (Woodbridge) p51-107
    Turner, D.J., 1986, 'Bodiam, Sussex: True Castle or Old Soldier's Dream House' in Ormrod, W.M. (ed), England in the Fourteenth Century: Proceedings of the 1985 Harlaxton Symposium (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p267–77
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p469-70
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p190
    Martin, David, 1973, Bodiam Castle Medieval Bridges (Hastings Area Archaeological Papers No1)
    O’Neil, B.H.St.J., 1960, Castles and Cannon: A Study of Early Artillery Fortifications in England (Oxford: Claredon Press) p12, 15-17
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p213-14
    Toy, Sidney, 1939, Castles: A short History of Fortifications from 1600 BC to AD 1600 (London) p216-17
    Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1937, VCH Sussex Vol9 p259-62
    Curzon, Marquis of Kedleston, K..G., 1926, Bodiam Castle, A Historical amd Descriptive Survey (Jonathan Cape: London)
    Tipping, H.A., 1921, English Homes, period 1 Vol1 (London) p239-46
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p174
    Tavernor-Perry, 1909, in Mundy, Memories of Old Sussex (London) p200-16
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p64-6
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol1 p239-47
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p364-7
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p312-4, 419
    Horsfield, 1835, History of Sussex (Lewes) Vol1 p521-4 [slight]
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p289
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol5 p132-4
• Journal Articles
  • 2005-6, 'Bodiam's wooden portcullis is the original, dating from 1385' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol 19 p130
    Stevens, Simon, 1999, 'A section through the moat bank at Bodiam Castle' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol137 p182-183 [short limited excavation report]
    Goodall, J., 1998 April 16, 'The Battle for Bodiam Castle' Country Life Vol16 p58-63
    Everson, P., 1996, 'Bodiam Castle, East Sussex: castle and its designed landscape' Château Gaillard Vol17 p70-84
    Nigel Saul, Jan 1995, History Today
    Whittick, Christopher, 1993, ' Dallingridges's Bay and Bodiam Castle Millpond - Elements of a Medieval Landscape' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol131 p119-123
    Coulson, Charles, 1991 Aug, ‘Bodiam Castle: Truth and Tradition’ Fortress Vol10 p3-15
    Taylor, C.C., Everson, P. and Wilson-North, R., 1990 'Bodiam Castle, Sussex' Medieval Archaeology Vol34 p155-7
    Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p209
    Coulson, C., 1979, 'Structural Symbolism in Medieval Castle Architecture' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol132 p73-90
    Autumn 1977, Fort Vol4 p76
    Wilson, D., Moorhouse, S., 1971, Medieval Archaeology Vol15 p148, 165-6
    Faulkner, 1963, Archaeological Journal Vol120 p230-4 [on domestic arrangements]
    1962-3, Medieval Archaeology Vol6-7 p334-5 [excavations of sites close to, and probably related to, the castle]
    Duggan, A., 1950, Battle and District Historical Society transactions Vol1 p17-20
    Henderson, 1933, The Builder Vol145 p12, 22 [detailed reconstruction only]
    Simpson, W. Douglas, 1931, 'The Moated Homestead, Church, and Castle of Bodiam' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol72 p69-99
    Lloyd, Nathaniel, 1926, 'Bodiam Castle' Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects p442-5
    Conway, 1914, Country Life Vol35 p950-6
    Sands, Harold, 1905, Archaeological Journal Vol62 p179-80
    Sands, Harold, 1903, 'Bodiam Castle' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol46 p112-133
    Clark, G.T., 1874, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol9 p.cv-cxvi [reprinted in MMA]
    Savery, J.C., 1868, 'On Bodiam Manor and Castle' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol26 p352-61
    Lower, Mark Antony, 1860, 'Notices of Sir Edward Dalyngruge, the Builder of Bodiam Castle' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol12 p221-231
    Lower, Mark Antony, 1857, 'Bodiam and its Lords' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol9 p274-302
• Guidebooks
  • Goodall, J., 2001, Bodiam Castle
    Thackray, David, 1991, Bodiam Castle (National Trust)
    Yarrow, A., 1985. Bodiam Castle. (London: National Trust)
    Morton, C., 1979 (new edn), Bodiam Castle, Sussex (National Trust)
    Simpson, W.Douglas, 1946, Bodiam Castle (Country Life for The National Trust)
    Lloyd, Nathaniel, c1938, Bodiam Castle (National Trust)
    Johnson, Theodore, 1912, The History of Bodiam, its Ancient Manor, Church and Castle (Hastings)
    Ticehurst, Gorham, 1874, Bodiam Castle, Historical and Descriptive (Battle)
    Ranger, William, 1848, A Brief History and Description of Bodiam Castle in Sussex from its Foundation to the Present Day (Northiam)
    Cotton, William, 1836, A Graphic and Historical Sketch of Bodyham Castle in Sussex (London)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1385-89) p42, 123
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p255, 258