Torweston Manor, Sampford Brett (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Torneston

In the civil parish of Sampford Brett.
In the historic county of Somerset.
Modern Authority of Somerset.
1974 county of Somerset.
Medieval County of Somerset.

OS Map Grid Reference: ST093407
Latitude 51.15871° Longitude -3.29759°

Torweston Manor, Sampford Brett has been described as a probable Fortified Manor House.

There are no visible remains.

Description

In 1316 Adam Brett had licence to crenellate his dwelling at Torweston. This may have give rise to the field names Back Castle and Castle Coppice which lay on the south and west slopes of Castle Hill but quarrying may account for the stones said to have been found on the hilltop. Torweston Barton was the name given in the mid C18 to the farmhouse which stood in the garden of the present Torweston Farm. The latter is a large, late C19 house with a two-storeyed cider house, office, coach house, and stables beyond. To the north, on lower ground, is an extensive group of contemporary farm buildings ranged around two open yards. The central range contains a mill (PRN 33978) driven by water supplied by two small ponds. (Somerset HER–ref. VCH)

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1316 June 22 (Click on the date for details of this licence.).

Comments

Gatehouse is of the opinion it is likely that Brett's house was at the location occupied by the later Barton rather than on the hill, and the lack of remains is explained by these being hidden under later building. Castle Hill will, in this case, have taken its name because it was in the demense holding of the manor (That is it was the hill belonging to the 'castle'). It would seem unlikely that Brett's house was anything other than a manor house decorated with crenellations and the castle name a reflection of this decorative style rather than anything seriously fortified.

Sources of information, references and further reading

County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 11619.

Books
- Dunning, Robert, 1995, Somerset Castles (Somerset Books) p. 66-7
  Dunning, R.W. (ed), 1985, VCH Somerset Vol. 5 p. 173 online transcription
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 407 online copy
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1898, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward II (1313-17) Vol. 2 p. 480 online copy
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Price, G., nd, Licences to Crenellate. Instruments of the transition to the New Medieval Castle

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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