BODIAM CASTLE


Description:  Medieval castle probably built in the years after 1385 when Sir Edward Dalingridge was licensed to crenellate, containing 6 gunports. Comprising a court yard with four corner round towers and projecting square towers in the centre of the south, east and west sides, the whole is set within a wide moat. The main entrance is on the north side and is flanked by two projecting square towers, outside of which but still within the moat are a barbican and octagonal outwork. The castle was partly dismantled during the Civil War, but was restored and presented to the National Trust in 1919. Formerly regarded as a 'textbook' example of a Medieval castle, field investigation in 1988 revealed that rather than being a defensive work the castle was probably the centrepiece of an elaborate designed landscape involving sheets of water, the whole designed to be passed through and also viewed from above.

Country:  ENGLAND

County:  EAST SUSSEX

District:  ROTHER

Parish:  BODIAM

Grid Reference:   TQ78562562

Map Reference:  [EPSG:27700] 578560, 125620

Period:  MEDIEVAL, 1385

Subject:  ANGLE TOWER, CURTAIN WALL, EARTHWORK, EXTANT BUILDING, INTERVAL TOWER, LANDSCAPE PARK, LOOPHOLED WALL, MOAT, ORNAMENTAL LAKE, QUADRANGULAR CASTLE

Identifiers: 
[ADS] Depositor Id: TQ 72 NE 1
[ADS] Import RCN: NMR_NATINV-414651

People Involved: 
[Publisher] Historic England