Farleigh Hungerford Castle

Farleigh Hungerford Castle stands on a low spur above the River Frome in Somerset. Built between 1377 and 1383 by Sir Thomas Hungerford, it replaced an earlier manor house. The castle follows a quadrangular design with four corner towers and a gatehouse. A wet moat protected two sides, and a deer park stretched beyond the walls. The inner court contained a great hall, kitchen, and private chambers arranged around a smaller garden. The castle’s fortunes rose under Sir Walter Hungerford, who fought at Agincourt in 1415 and later became Treasurer of England. He expanded the castle with an outer court, enclosing the parish church. By the mid-15th century, the chapel was richly decorated with murals. The Hungerfords held the castle for two centuries, despite losing it briefly during the Wars of the Roses. Today, visitors see the remains of the inner court with its gatehouse and towers. The chapel still shows fragments of medieval murals, rediscovered in 1844. Lead coffins from the 17th century lie in the churchyard, part of its later role as a museum. The castle’s ruins overlook the river, offering a quiet reminder of its past.