Details, Somerset HER

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Somerset Historic Environment Record

10508

Site Name:	Castle and moated site, Enmore Castle, Enmore
Civil Parish:	Enmore
Grid Ref:	ST 2392 3526 (ST 23 NW)
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Image:
	HER 10508 - Photo by Somerset County Council (17 July 1976)

Public access:

The public accessibility of this site is unknown or has not been checked. Please ask locally and do not visit without permission. [Information last updated on 21 May 2003]

Details:

The original castle at Enmore is said to have been pulled down in the C18, and a large mansion, of which the present house is only a remnant, was built shortly before 1779. Collinson described a dry moat surrounding the building and Mackenzie accepts this as part of the defences of the earlier manor house There is a 1792 account of a drawbridge over this moat. Now there is no trace of a moat, but its course may be represented by underground brick-lined cellarage which encloses the house on the E, W and S sides. {1}

No evidence of a castle before the C18, nor of a moat. The Castle was built in the 1750s. A plan of c1833 shows stew ponds in the corners of the moat, the stables were underground and not in the castle building. Part of the moat does survive on the W side but it is not at its original depth of 16ft. Most of the castle was demolished in 1834-5 and is now mostly C20. Now divided into two parts but a large area of the underground section survives. {6}

References:

1	Detailed records - Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division record card. Record ID: ST 23 NW 11 (1964) Location: HER files
2	Mention - Fry, EA. Enmore and the Percivals. Notes and Queries for Somerset and Dorset. 20 (1930-2), 107-115
3	Mention - Collinson, J. The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset. Vol. 1 (1791), 94.
4	Mention - Mackenzie, J. Castles of England. (1887), 57.
5	Mention - London Magazine. (1762) [page 439]
6	Verbal communication - Siraut, M [Mary]. Victoria County History of Somerset (03/03/1989). Location: verbal or direct entry to database, no other records.
7	Measured plan - Photocopy of underground level of castle. Origin unknown.. Location: HER files

Record created in February 1983