Farnham Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Feornham

In the civil parish of Farnham.
In the historic county of Surrey (Modern Authority of Surrey, 1974 county of Surrey).

Small square tower keep (only foundations remain) surrounded by a motte, surrounded by a shell keep. The first Castle was built during the Anarchy by Henry de Blois, Bishop of Winchester. The original stone keep was probably built by Henry around 1138. However, he was forced to flee abroad when Henry II became King and the Castle was dismantled, only to be rebuilt again by Henry de Blois again in 1158. Later a pile of earth was heaped against Henry's tower as if to emulate a motte and a shell keep was added around that. The outer walls, now much altered, were added later and the Gatehouse around 1470 by William of Waynflete. These outer buildings have survived well enough to remain habitable, but the shell keep was battered badly during the Civil War when the Castle and town changed sides many times.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Masonry Castle
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 290830, 290831)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU83724732

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; 247314

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/186/farnhamcastle.htm
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/farnham/farnham.php
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.185
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p337-9, 430-34
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Surrey (Malvern) p10-14
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p27, 29, 36, 52, 86, 120, 125-6, 142, 162, 165
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p239-41 [plan]
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p177-8, 187, 190, 197, 349
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby) p36, 46, 88, 141, 160, 175
    Furtado, Peter et al (eds), 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain (London) p54
    Brooks, P.D., 1985. Farnham Castle: the forgotten years. (Farnham: Farnham and District Museum Society)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p465
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p230-1
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Pevsner, N. and Nairn, Ian, 1971 (Revised Cherry, Bridget), The Buildings of England: Surrey (London, Penguin) p232-5
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p65-6
    Robo, E., 1935, Medieval Farnham p121-53
    Malden, H.E. (ed), 1912, VCH Surrey Vol4 p395-6
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p291-8
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Malden, H.E. (ed), 1905, VCH Surrey Vol2 p599-602
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p93-4
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p273-6
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p309-10
    Manning and Bray, 1804-14, The History and Antiquities of Surrey (London) Vol3 p134-7
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p279
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol5 p90-1
• Journal Articles
  • Riall, N., 2003, The new castles of Henry de Blois as bishop of Winchester: the case against Farnham, Surrey' Medieval Archaeology Vol47 p115-29
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p317
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T., 1986, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1985' Medieval Archaeology Vol30 p164-5
    Field, Nicholayson, 1980, Surrey Archaeological Society Bulletin Vol169 p5-6
    Reynolds, N., 1975, Medieval Archaeology Vol19 p203
    Wood, Margaret, 1974, 'Norman domestic architecture' Royal Archaeological Institute monograph series p51-2
    Thompson, M.W., 1967, 'Excavations in Farnham Castle Keep, Surrey' Château Gaillard Vol2 p100-105
    Thompson, M.W., 1960, 'Recent excavations in the keep of Farnham Castle, Surrey' Medieval Archaeology Vol4 p81-94
    Thompson, M.W., 1960, 'The Date of "Fox's Tower", Farnham Castle, Surrey' Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol57 p85-92
    Wilson, D.M. and Hurst, J.G., 1959, 'Medieval Britain in 1958' Medieval Archaeology Vol3 p308
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    Oswald, 1939, Country Life Vol86 p652-6, 682-6
    Tipping, H.A., 1911, Country Life Vol29 p636-45
• Guidebooks
  • Wareham, J., 2000, Three palaces of the bishops of Winchester: Wolvesey (Old Bishop's Palace), Hampshire; Bishop's Waltham Palace, Hampshire; Farnham Castle keep, Surrey (English Heritage)
    Thompson, M.W., 1987, Farnham Castle Keep, Surrey (English Heritage)
    Centre for International Briefing, 1965 [and later editions], Farnham Castle: History and Guide
    Thompson, M.W., 1961, Farnham Castle Keep, Surrey (HMSO)
    Wade, 1947, Farnham Castle (Farnham)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#surrey2]