Banwell Castle
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name =Banwell Castle
| native_name =
| native_language =
| image =Banwell Castle (Geograph 1126175).jpg
|alt=Stone building with embattlements
| caption =
| locmapin =Somerset
| coordinates = {{coord|51|19|25|N|2|51|36|W|display=inline,title}}
| location =Banwell, Somerset, England
| area =
| built =1847
| built_for =John Dyer Sympson
| architect =Augustus Pugin
| architecture =Victorian Gothic Revival
| governing_body =
| designation1 =Grade II* Listed Building
| designation1_offname =Banwell Castle, terraces and courtyard walls
| designation1_date =9 February 1961
| designation1_number =1283203
| designation2 =Grade II* Listed Building
| designation2_offname =Coachhouse at Banwell Castle
| designation2_date =17 January 1984
| designation2_number =1129781
| designation3 =Grade II* Listed Building
| designation3_offname = Gatehouse, stables and flanking walls at Banwell Castle
| designation3_date =9 February 1961{{NHLE|num=1320658 |desc=Gatehouse, stables and flanking walls at Banwell Castle |accessdate=6 April 2010 }}
| designation3_number =1320658
| designation4 =Grade II* Listed Building
| designation4_offname = Terrace and dairy at Banwell Castle
| designation4_date =17 January 1984{{NHLE|num=1135437 |desc=Terrace and dairy at Banwell Castle |accessdate=6 April 2010 }}
| designation4_number =1135437
| designation5 =Grade II* Listed Building
| designation5_offname = West garden walls with towers at Banwell Castle
| designation5_date =17 January 1984{{NHLE|num=1129782 |desc=West garden walls with towers at Banwell Castle |accessdate=6 April 2010 }}
| designation5_number =1129782
}}
Banwell Castle is a Victorian Gothic Revival mansion in Banwell, Somerset, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.{{NHLE|num=1283203 |desc=Banwell Castle |accessdate=24 October 2007 }}
History
The land on which the house is built was owned by the Bishop of Bath and Wells. It was sold to John and Joan Landown in 1753. It was passed down to the Sympson family; John Dyer Sympson, a solicitor from London, built the castle as his home. It was completed in 1847. Built in the Gothic Revival style made popular by Augustus Pugin. it was expanded and embellished in the 1880s by Sir Elskin Baker,{{cite book|last=Holt|first=Jonathan|title=Somerset Follies|publisher=Akeman Press|location=Bath|year=2007|pages=6|isbn=978-0-9546138-7-7}} having passed to Sir William Baker,{{cite web|url=http://www.banwellcastle.co.uk/castle-history.html|title=History|publisher=Banwell Castle|access-date=6 April 2010}} Other owners and tenants have been 1854 to 1874 Henry & Elizabeth Pigou then Sir William & Lady Frances Baker. In 1883 the Estate was sold to the Shaw Yate's family from Rotherham. In 1905 Kate Behrens of Manchester purchased the property.{{cite web|title=Banwell Castle History|url=http://www.banwellcastle.co.uk/castle-history.html|publisher=Banwell Castle|access-date=7 March 2017}} Mr & Mrs Hope made it their home, she died in 1916 and the Estate was then sold to Richard Calvert who in 1919 had the Bristol Architect Sir George Oatley do remodelling work on the property.{{cite web|title=Sir George Oatley Architectural Papers|url=http://oac.lib.bris.ac.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqServer=its-calmdb-p.cse.bris.ac.uk&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo==%27DM1812%2FChest3%2FDrawer3%27)|publisher=University of Bristol|access-date=7 March 2017}}
In World War II it was taken over by the Royal Air Force and used as the headquarters for No. 955 Squadron, which was a barrage balloon unit and part of Balloon Command. The gatehouse was used by the local Air Raid Precautions. In 1963 the Estate was sold to Simon and Phillipa Wills (of W.D. & H.O. Wills). Until 1976 the next owners were Charles Skilton, a book and postcard publisher, and Jean Desebrock from South Africa.{{cite web|title=Banwell Castle|url=http://www.theobd.co.uk/listing/banwell-castle.html|publisher=Online Business Directory|access-date=7 March 2017}} In 1988 William H & Hugh A Parsons purchased part of the castle and later purchased the whole of the estate. It remains a family home but is used for weddings, pre booked dinner Parties, wakes and as a bed and breakfast.{{cite web|title=Bed & Breakfast|url=http://www.banwellcastle.co.uk/bed-and-breakfast2.html|publisher=Banwell Castle|access-date=7 March 2017}}{{cite web|title=Weddings|url=http://www.banwellcastle.co.uk/weddings.html|publisher=Banwell Castle|access-date=7 March 2017}}
Architecture
The house has five windows in the three-storey main block between small circular turrets with other octagonal and hexagonal towers. In front of the house is a terrace with a trefoil pierced parapet with statutes of lions rampant with swords on embattled octagonal gate piers which flank six steps.
The coachhouse has a tall circular turret and contained a granary on the first floor.{{NHLE|num=1129781 |desc=Coachhouse at Banwell Castle |accessdate=6 April 2010 }} The gatehouse consists of a Chamfered double arch, with a parapet between circular embattled towers, with wrought iron gates with heraldic motifs. The walled kitchen garden, {{convert|170|m|ft}} south east of the house has another {{convert|4|m|ft}} tower.{{NHLE|num=1135438 |desc=Kitchen garden wall and tower 170 metres south east of Banwell Castle |accessdate=6 April 2010 }} The terrace adjoining the house leads to a decorative dairy. The west garden walls include another tower.