Old Stourton House
Has been described as a Certain Fortified Manor House
There are earthwork remains
| Name | Old Stourton House |
| Alternative Names | Stourton Castle |
| Historic Country | Wiltshire |
| Modern Authority | Wiltshire |
| 1974 Authority | Wiltshire |
| Civil Parish | Stourton With Gasper |
Site of a fortified manor house built mid C15 and comprising two courts, one with open hall, kitchen and gatehouse. The house was besieged in 1644 and following the sale of the estate was demolished circa 1720 to be replaced by the present Stourhead slightly to the north west. The site is marked by a series of turf covered banks and platforms approached by a hollow way. A park associated with the manor house was licensed circa 1428. (PastScape)
Old Stourton House stood upon a site immediately in front of the present mansion of Stourhead, between that house and the public road leading to Maiden Bradley. The site is still to be recognized by an inequality of ground, a few old Spanish chestnut trees, and some subterranean vaults. A relic of the building is, or lately was, preserved in a house at Shaftesbury formerly the "King's Arms ;" a carved chimney piece, bearing the shield of Stourton between those of Chidiock and Berkeley. (See a plate, in Gent. Mag. 1826, p. 497.) The house covered a great deal of ground, and retained all the internal arrangement of old baronial days. There was a large open-roofed hall, and an open-roofed kitchen of extraordinary size. In the buttery was kept a huge bone, attributed by tradition to one of the Anakim of the house of Stourton, but which was no doubt a geological relic of some different species of animal of much greater antiquity. There was a chapel, paved with tiles bearing the Stourton shield, and the rebus, "W.S.," a tower and a tun. In the civil wars the house was garrisoned for the King. In Sept. 1644 Ludlow marched thither one night, and summoned it to surrender. His summons not being attended to, his men piled faggots against one of the gates and set it on fire. The inmates escaped by a back way into the park; upon which the General entered, and having rendered it untenable passed on to Witham. The Stourton family was of great eminence and antiquity in Wiltshire
It is said that at a house of their's here, William the Conqueror received the submission of the English in the West. When the estate was purchased by Henry Hoare, Esq., of London, in 1720 (or 1727, for Sir R. C. H. has both dates, Mere, p. 56 and 63), the house of which we give the view was taken down. (Jackson 1854)
Not scheduled
Not Listed
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | ST778344 |
| Latitude | 51.1076316833496 |
| Longitude | -2.31747007369995 |
| Eastings | 377880 |
| Northings | 134400 |
