About
Nunney Castle is one of the most dramatically picturesque medieval castles in England, a tall, French-influenced tower house rising from a wide water-filled moat on the edge of the village of Nunney in Somerset, around three miles south-west of Frome. Built around 1373 by Sir John de la Mare, a soldier who had served in France during the Hundred Years' War, the castle's design reveals a direct debt to French château architecture of the period. Its four round corner towers rise from a narrow rectangular plan, creating a compact yet towering silhouette unlike most English castles of the time. The moat remains full of water today, giving the site an extraordinary visual impact.
Sir John de la Mare almost certainly drew inspiration from castles he encountered during his French campaigns, and Nunney represents one of the finest surviving examples of this French-influenced style in England. The castle served as a residence rather than a serious military fortification, and its lavish appearance — with machicolations, decorative corbelling, and tall windows — was designed to impress as much as to defend.
The castle's most dramatic moment came during the English Civil War. Held for the Royalist cause by Colonel Richard Prater, it was besieged by Parliamentary forces in 1645. After just two days of bombardment with heavy artillery, the north wall was breached and the garrison surrendered. The north wall was subsequently demolished, leaving the roofless three-sided shell that visitors see today. Despite this partial destruction, the remaining walls survive to near their original height, making Nunney one of the most complete and impressive castle ruins in the South West.
English Heritage manages the site and visitors can cross a modern footbridge over the moat to explore the roofless interior of the castle. Looking upward from inside the shell, the full height of the remaining towers becomes apparent — a powerful reminder of how imposing this building must once have appeared. The moat, the village church of All Saints immediately adjacent, and the surrounding Somerset stone cottages together create an exceptionally attractive and historic setting. Nunney is a rewarding destination for anyone interested in medieval military architecture or the distinctive French-influenced castle-building tradition of 14th-century England.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
💡 Visitor Tips
- Walk around the outside of the moat first to take in the full exterior of the castle before crossing the footbridge to enter.
- Arrive early in the morning or in late afternoon for the best light on the castle walls and reflections in the moat.
- Visit the adjacent Church of All Saints to see the effigy believed to be Sir John de la Mare, the castle's builder.
- Combine your visit with a walk through Nunney village — the limestone cottages and mill stream are well worth exploring.
- Wear sturdy footwear as the interior of the castle has uneven ground.
- Bring a guidebook or download the English Heritage app before visiting as there are no paid guides on site.
- Parking in the village is limited — arriving early on weekends and bank holidays is advised.
- The castle is free to English Heritage members — carry your membership card.
Highlights
The French-Influenced Tower Design
The most striking architectural feature of Nunney Castle is its unmistakably French character. While most English medieval castles sprawl across larger footprints, Nunney's builder Sir John de la Mare opted for a compact rectangular plan with four round corner towers rising close together to a great height — a form more typical of French châteaux than English castle-building tradition.
Having served in France during the Hundred Years' War, de la Mare likely encountered this style in the Loire Valley or Normandy and deliberately reproduced it in Somerset.
The towers still stand to near their original height, and the sheer vertical drama of the remaining three walls gives a vivid sense of how impressive and somewhat exotic this building must have appeared when it was completed in the 1370s.
The Water-Filled Moat
Unlike many medieval moats that have long since been drained or filled in, the moat at Nunney Castle remains water-filled and in good condition, enhancing the atmospheric quality of the site enormously. The moat is relatively narrow but deep, and its still waters reflect the tower walls on calm days, creating one of the most photographed castle views in the South West of England.
A modern footbridge provides access to the castle entrance on the south side.
The moat was originally designed both as a defensive measure and as a symbol of status — a moated residence was a marker of aristocratic wealth and ambition in 14th-century England. Today it adds to the sense of arriving at a place apart from the ordinary.
Civil War Siege and Destruction
Nunney Castle's history took its most dramatic turn during the English Civil War. The castle was garrisoned for King Charles I by Colonel Richard Prater and his Royalist forces. In September 1645, Parliamentary troops under Colonel Thomas Rainsborough besieged the castle.
The fortification, designed as a comfortable residence rather than a serious military stronghold, was ill-suited to resist heavy artillery. After just two days of bombardment, the north wall was breached and the garrison surrendered. Parliament subsequently ordered the demolition of the north wall to prevent future military use.
The three surviving walls were left standing, and it is this dramatic three-sided roofless shell that visitors see today — a Civil War wound frozen in time.
Sir John de la Mare and 14th-Century Ambition
Nunney Castle was built for Sir John de la Mare, a soldier and landowner who had made his fortune through military service in France during the Hundred Years' War. In 1373 he obtained a royal licence to crenellate — the formal permission required to build a fortified residence — and proceeded to construct what was probably the most architecturally distinctive castle in Somerset.
De la Mare's choice of French-influenced design was both practical and symbolic, reflecting his continental experience and his desire to present himself as a sophisticated man of the world.
His ambition is evident throughout the building's design, from the decorative corbels and machicolations to the ambitious height of the towers, which would have dominated the surrounding landscape.
Collections
Nunney Castle is an open-air heritage site rather than a museum with collections. The site consists of the standing ruins of the 14th-century castle, including three of the original four walls surviving to near full height, the round corner towers, and the water-filled moat. English Heritage provides interpretation panels on site explaining the castle's history, its French-influenced architecture, the life of its builder Sir John de la Mare, and the Civil War siege of 1645.
The adjacent Church of All Saints, in separate ownership, contains an effigy believed to be that of de la Mare.
Site Interpretation Panels
English Heritage interpretation panels around the castle explain the history of the site, from its construction in the 1370s through the Civil War siege of 1645 to its management as a scheduled monument today.
📍 Around the site
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.