Fenny Castle
Ancient castle ruin in southwest England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fenny Castle is the remains of a motte and bailey castle in the parish of Wookey, Somerset, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument,[1] but not accessible to the public.[2]
| Fenny Castle | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | Wookey, Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 51°11′22″N 2°42′19″W |
| Built | c. 1140 |
| Official name | Fenny Castle |
| Reference no. | 197243[1] |
  Location of Fenny Castle in Somerset | |
It is sited on a natural hillock of Lias approximately 20 metres (66 ft) above the surrounding flat land on the edge of the Somerset Levels.[3] Such sites were typically chosen for castles in low-lying areas.[4]
The original builder of the castle is unknown, but it may be associated with the Anarchy, 1135–1153, a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen which was marked by a succession crisis between the supporters of Stephen and those of his cousin, the Empress Matilda. In 1327 the owner was William atte Castle.[1] By 1480 it was described as a ruin by William Worcester who saw the plan of "all the houses and offices there".[5] During the 19th century the quarrymen found twenty skeletons which were reported as dating from an unspecified period before the construction of the castle.[1]
The castle gave its name to a hamlet of the parish of Wookey named 'Castle', one mile south-west of the main village. A stone cross in the hamlet, marking its importance, was still to be seen in 1839.[6]
Little remains of the stonework, and there is evidence of extensive quarrying. The mound is now covered in grass and scrub with a few trees.[3] However, the site was described in The Archaeology of Somerset (1982) as still having "interesting and prominent earthworks".[7]