The new structure stood 3 storeys high and was built from a mix of chalk, flint, limestone, and imported Caen stone. The tower is by far the best-preserved part of the castle today, standing like a slender pillar at the entrance to the site. The castle remained in the hands of the De Braose family for over 2 centuries, but by the early 13th century they had become too powerful for the liking of King John.
His wife and eldest son were starved to death in the dungeons of Windsor Castle. The brutality of the king's treatment of his one-time ally shocked even the hardened lords of the day and was one of the precipitating factors that led to the Baron's Revolt that culminated in the Magna Carta.
Though Braose's younger son eventually regained the family estates, they never enjoyed the same level of power and prosperity. The need for a defensive fortress was not as great by the later Middle Ages, and Bramber Castle was allowed to crumble and decay, becoming the picturesque ruin we see today. Bramber is an open site, accessible at any time.
Do take the time to pop into the attractive little church, established by the same Braose who built the first castle at Bramber. Most photos are available for licensing, please contact Britain Express image library. We've 'tagged' this attraction information to help you find related historic attractions and learn more about major time periods mentioned.
Heritage Rated from 1- 5 low-exceptional on historic interest. St Mary's House - 0. Steyning Museum - 0. Botolphs, St Botolph Church - 0. Alongside Bramber Castle, which was built no later than , fortifications at Chichester , Arundel , Lewes , Pevensey and Hastings all performed this function.
The castle was still in the possession of the de Braose family during the reign of King John but the then owner, another William de Braose, was suspected of disloyalty and the castle seized along with Lady de Braose and her eldest son; both of whom were starved to death either in Corfe or Windsor Castles. This harsh treatment ultimately resulted in the Barons revolt and the signature of Magna Carta.
Thereafter the castle was returned to the de Braose family who held it until the mid-fourteenth century. By the sixteenth century Bramber Castle was ruinous and had suffered badly from subsidence. With stone being removed for road and house building this mighty Norman fortification all but disappeared. The site was briefly re-fortified during World War II with two pillboxes being installed. The surrounding bailey seems to have been substantial.
The timber construction was soon replaced by a stone castle, and it is the remnants of this construction that survive today. These remains include sections of rubble curtain wall and one wall of a square gate tower, which rises straight into the air at the entrance to the site, providing a clue to the original scale of the castle. Since Bramber is believed to have been completed before , the castle layout that is visible today is therefore important in providing information on early Norman construction, despite its damaged state.
The de Braose family suffered during the war between King John and the barons, and the wife of the 13th century William de Brose died of starvation in captivity along with her two sons. The castle was eventually returned to the de Braose family, whose name was associated with Bramber until the 14th century. Bramber was besieged by Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War, when cannons set up in the nearby church fired down onto the castle.
The church itself suffered extensive damage at this time and only the nave and some of the crossing arches have survived.
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