Scheduled MonumentsEnglandSherborne Old Castle

Sherborne Old Castle

England
List entry 1015328
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1015328
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
5.08 hectares
Grid reference
ST 64842 16785
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Sherborne Old Castle is a Norman castle located in Sherborne, Dorset, England, founded in the early twelfth century by the bishops of Salisbury. The castle comprises a substantial rectangular keep with surrounding curtain walls and outbuildings, representing a significant example of Norman military architecture in the southwest. Following the English Civil War, the castle was slighted in 1645 to prevent its further use as a military stronghold, resulting in the partial destruction visible today. The site remains an important testament to both medieval episcopal power and seventeenth-century military engineering.

Sherborne Old Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1015328. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Sherborne Old Castle?

Sherborne Old Castle is a Norman castle located in Sherborne, Dorset, England, founded in the early twelfth century by the bishops of Salisbury. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1015328.

Who is responsible for protecting Sherborne Old Castle?

Sherborne Old Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1015328.

What other scheduled monuments are near Sherborne Old Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Roman site by Pinford Lane (0.5 km), The Conduit Cross (1 km), Sherborne Abbey, remains of (1.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Sherborne Old Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Sherborne Old Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Sherborne Old Castle

Sherborne Old Castle stands on Great Oolite Group, bedrock that formed in the Bathonian. The rock here is sandstone, limestone and argillaceous rocks.