Where is farnham castle

Wedding Enquiry. I'd like to be kept up to date with news and events at Farnham Castle. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Type of Event meeting conference lunch dinner team building 24 hour Christmas Awards dinner product launch other. Please enter a number greater than or equal to 1. The keep is a curious building; it does not stand atop the motte but encloses it. The motte was built around the remains of Bishop Henry's original keep, then the space filled in to create a new, larger motte, and the wall built around the mound.

After it was filled in, the original keep and motte were lost for over years until exposed by archaeologists in The keep was surrounded by an outer earthwork ditch and curtain wall. Much of the wall still stands, with three small towers projecting from it at intervals. Access is through a later 13th-century gatehouse with large flanking towers. Inside the walls is a shell keep and a triangular inner bailey, and the main buildings are in the south range, not in the keep.

This is entered through a tall red-brick gatehouse built by Bishop Waynflete in This is an eye-catching structure, with corner turrets and exaggerated machicolations. From the gatehouse, steps lead up to a screens passage that used to link the hall and the kitchen. You can still see a row of lancets in the kitchen wall, showing that the inner bailey buildings were not meant to be defensive, but were built for comfort and light.

To the east the private apartments built for the Bishops are set around a small, private courtyard. The castle was garrisoned by Royalist troops in the Civil War. On 26 November , a regiment of Parliamentary dragoons and a regiment of horse under Sir William Waller attacked Farnham. They blew up the central gate and fought their way to the outer courtyard. Waller led an assault on the keep, and the Royalist soldiers were forced to surrender. The shell keep was dismantled on the orders of Parliament so that it could not be held against them.

Visitors can see the imposing towers, residential quarters, and two medieval chapels within the castle grounds. Find out More. Farnham Castle, an iconic and exclusive venue with stunning historic buildings, beautiful grounds, an exceptional dining experience and guest accommodation. Close to London, the M3, M25 and the A3, the conveniently located, Surrey wedding, meeting and events venue, Farnham Castle, offers a choice of flexible, versatile entertainment spaces.

For weddings of any size, Farnham Castle boasts 4 unique locations to say your vows, in addition to 2 on-site chapels for couples wishing to hold a religious wedding ceremony. For wedding receptions, dinners and private events, the magnificent Great Hall can seat up to guests, but can increase to up to for evening celebrations and dancing. In front of the Castle, The Great Lawn is the ultimate spot to host a drinks party or post-wedding ceremony drinks reception and provides a perfect backdrop for memorable photography.

Farnham itself was important for it was located on the road between Winchester and London - a route regularly travelled by the Bishop - and provided a convenient point to break the journey. Control of the region was also a factor; at this time England was on the brink of a civil war the Anarchy over the issue of who should succeed to the English throne.

The incumbent monarch was Stephen, nephew of Henry I, who had taken the throne in when that King died without a male heir. However Matilda, Henry I's daughter, challenged his claim and by the country was embroiled in a protracted war that became known as the Anarchy. Henry de Blois was Stephen's brother and, along with most of the senior magnates of the realm, initially supported him.

All these structures were designed to reflect the power and importance of the Bishop - a powerful administrative position that, although nominally chosen by the Abbey of St. The castle was initially raised as a motte built around a rectangular stone tower.

A bailey stood adjacent protected by a ditch and timber palisade. This fortification did not last long however and was decommissioned after the war. The peace had been secured by the Treaty of Winchester , which had been brokered by Henry de Blois, by securing an agreement that Stephen would remain King for life but would be succeeded by Matilda's son, Henry of Anjoy Henry II.