Castle Hotel, Taunton
Encyclopedia
The Castle Hotel at Taunton is a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

 and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

 located in the centre of Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....

, 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. The business is located in a Grade II listed 18th century reconstruction of the former 12th century Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...

 fortress, Taunton Castle
Taunton Castle
Taunton Castle is a castle built to defend the town of Taunton, Somerset, England.It has origins in the Anglo Saxon period and was later the site of a priory. The Normans then built a stone structured castle, which belonged to the Bishops of Winchester...

.

Building

In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth used Taunton Castle as a base before his troop's defeat by King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...

 at Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor
Sedgemoor is a low lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh . The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part West Sedgemoor. Sedgemoor is part of the area now known as the Somerset Levels...

. Judge Jeffreys then held his Bloody Assizes
Bloody Assizes
The Bloody Assizes were a series of trials started at Winchester on 25 August 1685 in the aftermath of the Battle of Sedgemoor, which ended the Monmouth Rebellion in England....

 in the Great Hall of the Castle.

The main building today, which was at one time known as Clarke's Hotel, was built in the late 18th century, and is Grade II listed. The building was then added in the 20th century, with a top floor addition.

The building incorporates Castle Bow a Grade I listed building which originally formed the east gate to the Castle precincts. It still has 13th century chamfered arches, and corner buttresses with setoffs.

Hotel and restaurant

The Chapman family have been running the hotel for 60 years. Catering is available in the restaurant and the BRAZZ brasserie
Brasserie
In France and the Francophone world, a brasserie is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed, upscale setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. The word 'brasserie' is also French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the brewing business"...

. Head Chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...

s have included Christopher Oakes, Gary Rhodes
Gary Rhodes
Gary Rhodes OBE is an English restaurateur, cookery writer, and chef, known for his love of British cuisine and distinctive spiked hair style ....

, Phil Vickery
Phil Vickery (chef)
Philip Vickery is an English celebrity chef.-Biography:Vickery followed Gary Rhodes as Head Chef of the Castle Hotel, Taunton, which at the time held a Michelin Star. It lost its Michelin status under Vickery, but retained its 4 AA rosettes, while he gained the AA Chef of the Year...

. and Richard Guest. While Christopher Oakes was head chef the restaurant gained a Michelin star, but this was lost in 2008. The current head chef is Jamie Raftery.

In May 2009, the business featured in the BBC2 series Keeping It in the Family.
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