Farleigh Hungerford Castle [6]

Image: © Michael Dibb Taken: 23 Aug 2019

The foundations of the Great Hall and the kitchens. On the site of an early 14th century manor house, the inner court of the castle was built between 1377 and 1383. The outer court was added in 1430 and 1445 and further enhancements were made in the early 17th century. The castle was lived in until 1691. From 1730 the castle started to be broken up for salvage and by 1740 was ruinous. The outer court became a farmyard and the Priest House became the farmhouse. Now in the care of English Heritage, the castle is listed, grade I, with details at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1058117 In the outer court, the chapel of Saint Leonard was the parish church which was originally outside the defences, but was included within the outer court as the castle chapel when the curtain was built. The chapel contains many medieval murals and the late 17th century tombs of the Hungerfords. In the crypt are a number of rare lead anthropomorphic coffins. The chapel is listed, grade I, with details at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1345336 The Priest House is east of the chapel and separated from it by a narrow courtyard, and was extended northward to form a long low building in the 17th century. Now a museum, the building is listed, grade II*, with details at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1058118 The site is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument with details at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1015871

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