Sherborne New Castle

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House, and also as a Possible Palace (Bishop)

There are major building remains

NameSherborne New Castle
Alternative NamesSherborne Lodge
Historic CountryDorset
Modern AuthorityDorset
1974 AuthorityDorset
Civil ParishCastleton

Late C16 rectangular central block with its angle turrets, for Sir Walter Raleigh. Enlarged by the addition of the four wings of 2 storeys with cellars and hexagonal towers in 1625 by Sir John Digby. (Listed Building Report)

Gatehouse Comments

Goodall calls this 'castle-like', presumably referring to the angle turrets, although no author would call this house defensible. (Although many such house were made defensible during the C17 Civil Wars. and some were slighted afterwards.) Raleigh's house was built on the site of a medieval hunting lodge of the deer park associated with Sherborne Old Castle. This castle was taken into royal hands in 1139 and not returned to the bishop of Salisbury until 1354. However, the deer park remained in episcopal hands (Cantor and Wilson). The lodge may have been used as a modest bishops palace during the period the bishops were excluded from the castle and retained as ancillary accommodation when the castle was regained.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceST649164
Latitude50.9460906982422
Longitude-2.50063991546631
Eastings364914
Northings116404
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

Castlefacts3