Bampton Castle

Bampton Castle once stood in the Oxfordshire village of Bampton. Records disagree on its beginnings: one account says Matilda built a motte castle around 1142 during King Stephen’s reign, while another credits Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, who in 1314–15 fortified his existing house with royal permission. The structure was described as four-sided with corner towers, fortified gatehouses on east and west sides, and corbelled turrets for extra defence. By the 17th century it remained largely intact, as noted in a manuscript from 1664. Before 1789 the castle was demolished, though parts survive within Ham Court, a Grade II* listed building today. The castle’s medieval presence still shapes local memory. RAF once ran a communications station nearby called RAF Bampton Castle. A fictional series by Mel Starr uses the castle as the main setting in the 1360s, following Hugh de Singleton, a surgeon solving mysteries. The name also lived on in the village telephone exchange, chosen to avoid confusion with other British places called Bampton. The exchange remains in service for Bampton and nearby villages. Visitors to Bampton can see Ham Court, where original castle masonry has been reused in the walls and towers. The surrounding village retains quiet lanes and stone cottages that reflect its long history. The old castle site lies beneath later buildings and gardens, but the landscape still hints at its former strength. Nearby footpaths lead past the former RAF station grounds, now fields and hedgerows. The telephone exchange stands in the centre, a quiet reminder of the name’s endurance.