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Castles and Historic Buildings of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland

 Castles of England - Bramber Castle

near Bramber, West Sussex, England

Bramber Castle, a Norman motte and bailey castle, is located in the village of Bramber, West Sussex about 12 miles north-west of Brighton. The castle is a ruin, and little remains apart from the wall of a tall gatehouse which was converted into a keep, and parts of the curtain wall in the north and east sides. There are also foundations of other buildings which may have been living quarters and a guardhouse. To the north of the gatehouse is the original castle motte rising to about 10m. The grassy areas in the bailey are well maintained. The moat is dry and can be used as a path to walk round the site. The site is owned by English Heritage and is open to the public.

The castle was built by William De Braose around 1070 (not long after the battle of Hastings) to guard the port on the river Adur. It was a motte and bailey structure built on a natural mound, with a moat surrounding the whole castle. The castle was held by the De Braose family until 1324 (apart from a period when it was captured during reign of King John) . During the Civil War the castle was attacked and damaged in 1642 by Parliamentary forces, who attacked it with guns placed in the nearby church.

Other Castles in the Area
  Amberley Castle, West Sussex
  Arundel Castle, West Sussex
  Lewes Castle, East Sussex

Lewes Castle
Bramber Castle. This is the only major remain of the Norman castle. It received very heavy damage during the English Civil War.


 Bramber Castle map