DescriptionThe monument includes the ruined, earthwork and buried remains of the quadrangular castle at Brampton Bryan, situated on floodplain south of the River Teme, 50m north of the church. The medieval layout of the castle appears to have been four ranges built around a courtyard, with a gatehouse contained within the southern curtain wall, to which a large outer gatehouse was later added. The whole monument was constructed on a mound or motte, and surrounded by a moat. The north range contained the hall and service bay, both at first floor level, with the kitchen to the east. Private accomodation was contained in the other ranges, with further chambers above the gate passage of the inner gatehouse, and on the first floor of the outer gatehouse. The castle originally stood on an earthen motte, part of which can be seen around the inner gatehouse and hall range. This in turn was surrounded by a moat, with the approach to the castle being from the south across a bridge to the gatehouse. Subsequent landscaping for the later house and gardens has obscured the full extent of the castle accommodation and the moat at the surface, however evidence for these features will survive below ground. The steep slope to the north of the hall range wall, which now continues eastwards along the edge of the garden, probably represents the original northern extent of the motte. The standing remains are built of local sandstone rubble and ashlar, and are Listed Grade I. They represent several phases of construction, and include the outer gatehouse, part of the inner gatehouse, and part of the south wall of the hall and kitchen range. The earliest documentary references tell us that Bryan de Brampton had a 'tower with curtilage' on the site in 1295. It is generally considered that the earliest phase of the present structure is represented by the great hall and inner gatehouse, which were either de Brampton's work or were built shortly after 1309, when the castle passed to Robert Harley by his marriage to Bryan's daughter Margaret. The inner gatehouse projected inwards from the southern curtain wall, which still stands to its east and west, and its north and south wall stand almost to their full original height. The entrance is formed by two arches through the wall, with an opening for a portcullis between them; an early example of ball-flower ornament can still be seen over the inner arch. There is a single arch at the northern exit of the gateway passage, to the east of which is a contemporary doorway, and to the west the shell of a 16th century stair-turret. The first floor would have housed the portcullis, and contains a single chamber, with a garderobe or latrine closet. A fireplace in the north wall is flanked by single windows, both with seats in their embrasures. With the construction of the outer gatehouse, two doorways were inserted into the south wall of the inner gatehouse, giving access to the upper staircases and walkway along the top of the outer gatehouse walls. At second floor level the single chamber in the inner gatehouse also has a fireplace and garderobe. There is a window with seat to the north, west of which a foliate capital of 13th century date has been reused in the wall. The outer gatehouse was added some time later in the 14th century. The gateway in its south wall consists of two arches enclosing a portcullis groove, above which a moulded string with ball-flower decoration is set below a further arch. This entrance is flanked by two round towers, each of c.5m external diameter and with two storeys remaining. On the ground floor the east tower houses a polygonal chamber, containing a fireplace in the south west quarter with a single window to the west, and garderobe to the north of the gate- passage doorway. The first floor chamber is open to a portcullis room over the gate arch, and has two windows and a garderobe above the one on the ground floor. The portcullis room itself has a fireplace in the north wall, which is carried by an arch over the entrance passage. Its octagonal chimney stack is a 16th century addition and has a crenelated top. The west tower houses a circular chamber at ground floor level, with a well at its centre now infilled. An opening to the south west is roofed with a series of arches stepped down towards the well. The chamber above has two windows, one with ball-flower ornament, and was entered via a mural stairway opening off the west side of the gatehouse passage. The remains of the hall and kitchen range are c.12m north of the inner gatehouse; the courtyard which separated them was cut through within the last century to provide access between the later hall to the west and the tennis courts to the east. All that remains of the hall block is part of the original 14th century south wall, and the three-storeyed 16th century staircase bay, or porch, enclosing the original hall doorway. To either side of this doorway are small windows which would have lit the basement. Above the eastern one is a similar window with a window-seat; the remains of others to the east would have lit the service bay. The hall would have been lit by similar windows overlooking the courtyard; both hall and service bay were at first floor level while the kitchen, to the east, was at basement level and rose through two floors. There was a chamber over the service bay and kitchen, from which access was later made into a small room on the upper floor of the porch. With the construction of the porch a fireplace was inserted above the door. Lit on all three sides by large windows, the porch was entered through a door in its east wall; the stairs to the hall doorway have been removed. (Scheduling Report)
The twin-towered outer gatehouse and small barbican forward of the earlier gateway is the principal defensive survival. One of the battlemented entry towers has a single upper window with ball-flower decoration and cinquefoil cusping, the latter another early example as at Acton Burnell Castle, and totally unweathered ball-flower label above the outer arch. The ogee-headed entrance doorway and trefoil cusped windows are more indicative that the outer gatehouse and barbican were secondary rather than much late work. The question is why such a defence should have been added in the mid-fourteenth century when there was no obvious need for it, though a similar towered gatehouse/barbican was added at this time in front of the earlier gateway at Dudley Castle. It may have been for reasons status, but they comfortable if ill-lit first floor accommodation may have been intended to provide constable lodgings while the Hartleys were absent fighting in France. (Emery 2000)
