Farnham Castle

Farnham Castle stands on a mound in the town of Farnham, Surrey. Built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, Bishop of Winchester, it became the bishops’ home for more than eight centuries. The original stone fortress was partly destroyed in 1155 and rebuilt in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. A shell keep now crowns the motte, with buttress turrets and a shallow gatehouse. The inner bailey contains domestic buildings and a brick entrance tower from the 15th century. A curtain wall with square towers and a 13th-century gatehouse surrounds the outer bailey. The castle’s long history includes visits by Mary I before her wedding in 1554 and a fire during a royal stay in 1609. After the Civil War it was slighted again, then rebuilt by Bishop George Morley in the 17th century. During the Second World War artists Roland Penrose and Julian Trevelyan trained here in military camouflage. Since 1962 the castle has served as an intercultural training centre. Visitors find a restored keep and Bishop’s Palace with displays on nine centuries of history. The keep re-opened in 2010 after renovation, while local guides lead tours of the palace on certain days. The castle sits in five acres of gardens overlooking Farnham. The stone curtain wall encloses a cluster of buildings, with the shell keep at the north end and ranges to the south.