Nunney Castle — Attraction in Nunney

Nunney Castle is a medieval castle, In 1373 the knight Sir John Delamare returned from the Hundred Years War with a considerable fortune earned while serving overseas. With a romantic vision of the French castles he had seen, Delamare received royal approval from Edward III to develop a castle on the site of his unfortified manor house. The castle was modernised in the late 16th century by Richard Prater, a rich Londoner who had bought the castle sometime after 1560. It remained in the possession of the Prater family until the Civil War, when it was besieged by the Parliamentary Army, led by Lord Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. On 18 September 1645, as Prater and the many refugees inside refused to surrender, the cannons breached the castle walls. Despite the breach, the castle remained in a reasonable condition until the early 20th century, when one of the walls collapsed. Today, the impressive ruins provide a direct link back through history to a knight and his dreams of grandeur.

As well as the ruins of Nunney Castle, this village hosts an historic church and many fine old buildings. From the medieval period, Nunney for many years was home to a number of water-powered mills, at one time owned by James Fussell, who operated ironworks near Mells. Make sure you visit the Church of All Saints (12th century), wander alongside the stream that intersects the village (complete with resident ducks) and view the many listed buildings, including Rockfield House (built by John Pinch in 1805). The George Inn, dating from the 18th century. There's parking at Nunny castle car park and it's FREE but there is a 6ft height barrier, just about got my VW...

What a fabulous place to visit. It is just over an hour to get to from Bristol. It was a lovely journey through some winding lanes and leafy bowers roads. The village is chocolate box picturesque. We parked in the parking area - the old quarry gardens just by the village sign of Nunney. A 2 minute walk takes you to this small medieval moated castle. Free to walk around. If you go on a blue sky day, then the photos are fabulous. There are benches, or you can sit on the grass for a picnic. It is not huge, and the bridge is shut to go inside temporarily. Lots of birds around. There is a small cafe nearby but it was closed when we went. If you walk over the village bridge, you can access the small church. It has an interesting history. The Knight who built the castle has his tomb and effigy there. There is also a lovely little mini library of books for sale. You can pay for the books by card or cash and at only one pound each. The pub, the George and Pilgrim, is very welcoming. Lovely gardens to sit at. Modern and quirky inside. They do some food and seem to have a lot of music and activities ( jazz nights and quizzes) happening on a regular basis. It looks as though you can stay there too, and it does have a car park attached to the pub. There looks like some lovely walks to go on around the village, and the locals were so friendly. Will...

Distinctive moated castle in the centre of the charming village of Nunney. The castle dates back to the mid 14th century and was commissioned by local knight John de la Mare. It saw significant revisions in the 16th century, but didn't last much longer as Parliamentarian forces attacked the castle in 1645, causing extensive damage. The ruin seen today is impressively complete, with the close set round towers giving it a very striking appearance. The castle is free to visit, a couple of minutes walk from a parking area up the hill. Unfortunately the bridge across the moat was closed and awaiting repairs when we visited, so it wasn't possible to see inside the ruin. That said, the path around the perimeter of the moat gave a good view of the whole building. We left very happy, having seen a kingfisher and an otter, so the moat is clearly good...