Banwell Castle
Encyclopedia
Banwell Castle is a Victorian
Gothic Revival
mansion in Banwell
, Somerset
, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. The castle buildings, now a hotel and restaurant, and sometimes used as a wedding venue, are set in 25 acres (10.1 ha) of grounds which are used for hawk
ing activities.
. 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 to a design by Augustus Pugin
. Having passed to Sir William Baker
, it was expanded and embellished in the 1880s by Sir Elskin Baker.
The castle was bought and sold many times in the subsequent 100 years. 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 1956 the estate was sold to Simon and Phillipa Wills (of W.D. & H.O. Wills
). Until 1988 the owners were Charles Skilton, a book and postcard publisher, and Jean Desebrock from South Africa
. They sold it to William and Hugh Parsons who converted it into a hotel and restaurant.
The house has five windows in the three storey main block between small circular turrets with various 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 originally contained a granary on the first floor. The gatehouse consists of a chamfered
double arch, with a parapet between circular embattled towers, with cast iron
gates with heraldic motifs. The walled kitchen garden, 170 metres (557.7 ft) south east of the house has another 4 metres (13.1 ft) tower. The terrace adjoining the house leads to a decorative dairy. The west garden walls include another tower.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
mansion in Banwell
Banwell
Banwell is a village and civil parish on the River Banwell in the North Somerset district of Somerset, England. Its population was 2,923 according to the 2001 census.-History:...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. The castle buildings, now a hotel and restaurant, and sometimes used as a wedding venue, are set in 25 acres (10.1 ha) of grounds which are used for hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
ing activities.
History
The land on which the house is built was owned by the Bishop of Bath and WellsBishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
. It was sold to John and Joan Landown in 1753. It was passed down to the Sympson family; John Dyer Sympson, a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
built the castle as his home. It was completed in 1847 to a design by Augustus Pugin
Augustus Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, and theorist of design, now best remembered for his work in the Gothic Revival style, particularly churches and the Palace of Westminster. Pugin was the father of E. W...
. Having passed to Sir William Baker
William Erskine Baker
General Sir William Erskine Baker KCB was a senior British Indian Army officer who went on to be Military Secretary to the India Office.-Military career:...
, it was expanded and embellished in the 1880s by Sir Elskin Baker.
The castle was bought and sold many times in the subsequent 100 years. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was taken over by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and used as the headquarters for No. 955 Squadron, which was a barrage balloon
Barrage balloon
A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult. Some versions carried small explosive charges that would be pulled up...
unit and part of Balloon Command
RAF Balloon Command
Balloon Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for controlling all the United Kingdom-based barrage balloon units during World War II.- History :...
. The gatehouse was used by the local Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. It was created in 1924 as a response to the fears about the growing threat from the development of bomber...
.
In 1956 the estate was sold to Simon and Phillipa Wills (of W.D. & H.O. Wills
W.D. & H.O. Wills
W.D. & H.O. Wills was a British tobacco importer and cigarette manufacturer formed in Bristol, England. It was one of the founding companies of Imperial Tobacco.-History:...
). Until 1988 the owners were Charles Skilton, a book and postcard publisher, and Jean Desebrock from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. They sold it to William and Hugh Parsons who converted it into a hotel and restaurant.
Architecture
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
pierced parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with statutes of lions rampant with swords on embattled octagonal gate piers which flank six steps.
The coachhouse has a tall circular turret and originally contained a granary on the first floor. The gatehouse consists of a chamfered
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
double arch, with a parapet between circular embattled towers, with cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
gates with heraldic motifs. The walled kitchen garden, 170 metres (557.7 ft) south east of the house has another 4 metres (13.1 ft) tower. The terrace adjoining the house leads to a decorative dairy. The west garden walls include another tower.