Bury Castle | |
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Brompton Regis, Somerset, England | |
Coordinates | 51°01′52″N 3°30′53″W / 51.0311°N 3.5147°W |
Grid reference | grid reference SS938269 |
Type | Hillfort and later motte and bailey castle |
Bury Castle near Brompton Regis in the English county of Somerset was an Iron Age univallate hillfort which was reused with the creation of a motte after the Norman Conquest. It has been designated as a scheduled monument.[1]
It is an oval enclosure just above the confluence of the River Haddeo and River Exe.[1] It is approximately 120 yards (110 m) long and 80 yards (73 m) wide.[2]
In the late 1130s, a civil war, known as the Anarchy, broke out in England between the supporters of King Stephen and the Empress Matilda. A motte and bailey castle was built on the Bury Castle side, probably by William de Say. In 1198 Richard I confirmed that Brompton should be part of the inheritance of Matilda.[3]
The motte measures 23 metres (75 ft) and was placed on the southern tip of the promontory, with the bailey beyond around 60 metres (197 ft) across.[4][5]