Glastonbury Castle

Has been described as a Possible Masonry Castle, and also as a Possible Palace (Other)

There are no visible remains

NameGlastonbury Castle
Alternative Names
Historic CountrySomerset
Modern AuthoritySomerset
1974 AuthoritySomerset
Civil ParishGlastonbury

Henry of Blois, abbot of Glastonbury (1126-71) and bishop of Winchester, left a formidable series of buildings, among them, according to the chronicler Adam of Domerham, 'a certain regal palace, which is called a castle (castellum)'. John of Glastonbury, writing a little later, described it simple as 'a beautiful and spacious palace (palacium)'. It is quite clear from the context of both writers that the building was within the monastic precinct, but the use of the word castellum has lead some to believe that there was a free-standing 'castle' elsewhere in Glastonbury.

Abbot Henry's palace was recognised within the abbey grounds in 1978-9 where its massive wall foundations were exposed by W.J. Wedlake during his excavations of the Abbot's Hall. The surviving footings, incidentally, were covered with a layer of ash, clear trace of the fire which in 1184 destroyed the palace and most of the other standing buildings of the abbey. (Dunning 1995)

{The Abbot's lodgings} could be of exceptional interest but have been little studied. The Abbots' hall, kitchen and gardens lay to the south-west of the Great Church: the kitchen of the latest version of the complex survives. There were at least three successive halls, the first of which may have been the 12th century "castellum" mentioned by the 13th century historian Adam of Domerham. (Gathercole 2003)

Gatehouse Comments

Castle built 1127-54. Described as 'quoddam palacium regale, quod vocabatur castellum'. Renn tentatively identifies this with The Mound. PastScape records Abbey but not fortifications. Current Abbey ruins date from rebuild commenced in 1186. It would be possible that the residence of the very wealthy abbot of Glastonbury would be of notable high quality and be built with some martial features to show his dominion over considerable lands and since such landowners did, from time to time, gain the resentment of their tenants some degree of defensibility would have had a practical consideration but this would not be a military base.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceST501387
Latitude51.1457901000977
Longitude-2.71574997901917
Eastings350010
Northings138740
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dunning, R.W. (ed), 2006, 'Glastonbury: Abbey' VCH Somerset Vol. 9 p. 11-16 (Abbey) online transcription
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 77
  • Dunning, Robert, 1995, Somerset Castles (Somerset Books) p. 59
  • Carley, J. (ed), 1985, The Chronicles of Glastonbury Abbey (Woodbridge: Boydell)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 446
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 355

Primary Sources

  • Hearne, T. (ed), 1727, Adami de Domerham, Historia de Rebus gestis Glastoniensibus Vol. 1 p. 309, Vol. 2 p. 316
  • Carley, J. (ed), 1985, The Chronicle of Glastonbury Abbey (Boydell and Brewer) p. 166

Other

  • Gathercole, C., 2003, An Archaeological Assessment of Glastonbury (English Heritage Extensive Urban Survey) p. 50 online copy