| Castle Hotel | |
|---|---|
 Castle Hotel | |
  Location within Somerset | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Taunton |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°00′55″N3°06′14″W / 51.0152°N 3.1038°W |
| Completed | 18th century |
The Castle Hotel at Taunton is a hotel with one restaurant, Brazz, and a number of events spaces, located in the centre of Taunton, Somerset, England. The business is located in a Grade II listed 18th-century reconstruction of the former 12th-century Norman fortress, Taunton Castle.
In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth used Taunton Castle as a base before his troop's defeat by King James II at Sedgemoor. Judge Jeffreys then held his Bloody Assizes 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. [1] 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. [2]
The Chapman family have been running the hotel for more than 70 years. Kit Chapman is known for his right wing political views, and has shown public support for The Reform Party. He is a long term Brexit supporter. Catering is available in the hotel's Restaurant, Brazz. Head Chefs have included Christopher Oakes, Gary Rhodes, Phil Vickery. [3] and Richard Guest. While Christopher Oakes was head chef the restaurant gained a Michelin star, but this was lost in 2008 by Richard Guest. [4] The current head chef is Andrew Swann. [4]
Nether Stowey is a large village in Somerset, South West England. It sits in the foothills of the Quantock Hills, just below Over Stowey. The parish of Nether Stowey covers approximately 4 km2, with a population of 1,482.
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, owned by the Bishops of Winchester, which was rebuilt as Taunton Castle by the Normans in the 12th century. Parts of the inner ward house were turned into the Museum of Somerset and Somerset Military Museum. For the Second Cornish uprising of 1497, Perkin Warbeck brought an army of 6,000; most surrendered to Henry VII on 4 October 1497. On 20 June 1685 in Taunton the Duke of Monmouth crowned himself King of England in a rebellion, defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor. Judge Jeffreys led the Bloody Assizes in the Castle's Great Hall.
Castle Cary is a market town and civil parish in south Somerset, England, 5 miles (8 km) north west of Wincanton and 8 miles (12.9 km) south of Shepton Mallet, at the foot of Lodge Hill and on the River Cary, a tributary of the Parrett.
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Farleigh Hungerford is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Norton St Philip, in the Somerset district, in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, 9 miles southeast of Bath, 3½ miles west of Trowbridge on A366, between Trowbridge and Radstock in the valley of the River Frome. In 1931 the parish had a population of 98.
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West Monkton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated 2 miles (3.2 km) north east of Taunton. The parish includes the hamlets of Monkton Heathfield, Bathpool, and Burlinch and the western parts of Coombe and Walford, and had a population of 2,787 at the 2011 census.
Wells Cathedral School is an independent co-educational boarding and day school for 2–18 year olds located in Wells, Somerset, England, which provides an all-round education alongside world-class Specialist Music and Chorister training. The whole School comprises Pre-Prep, Prep School, and Senior School, which includes a Sixth Form. The School is one of the five specialist musical schools for school-age children in the United Kingdom, along with Chetham's School of Music, the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Purcell School and St. Mary's Music School, Edinburgh. The Head Master, Alastair Tighe, is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
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The Grade I listed buildings in Somerset, England, demonstrate the history and diversity of its architecture. The ceremonial county of Somerset consists of a non-metropolitan county, administered by Somerset County Council, which is divided into five districts, and two unitary authorities. The districts of Somerset are West Somerset, South Somerset, Taunton Deane, Mendip and Sedgemoor. The two administratively independent unitary authorities, which were established on 1 April 1996 following the breakup of the county of Avon, are North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset. These unitary authorities include areas that were once part of Somerset before the creation of Avon in 1974.
Taunton Deane is a local government district with borough status in the English county of Somerset. In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultural significance; Grade I structures are those considered to be "buildings of exceptional interest". Listing was begun by a provision in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Once listed, severe restrictions are imposed on the modifications allowed to a building's structure or its fittings. In England, the authority for listing under the Planning Act 1990 rests with Historic England, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; local authorities have a responsibility to regulate and enforce the planning regulations.
The Church of St Augustine in West Monkton, Somerset, England, dates from the 13th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
Cothelstone Manor in Cothelstone, Somerset, England was built in the mid-16th century, largely demolished by the parliamentary troops in 1646 and rebuilt by E.J. Esdaile in 1855–56.
No 18, Fore Street, Taunton, Somerset, England, has a colourwashed Victorian front, to an earlier building. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building for the interiors. The interior has enriched plaster ceilings and friezes, one of which is dated 1627.
The Luttrell Arms in Dunster, Somerset, England was built in the late 15th century and is located in the centre of the medieval town of Dunster. The building has been designated as a Grade II* listed building since 22 May 1969. The original building has been enlarged over the years by addition of further wings. It is now used as a hotel.
Beckington Castle is a historic house in the village of Beckington, Somerset, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.
The Butter Cross in Dunster within the English county of Somerset is a Grade II* listed building and scheduled monument. The cross was originally erected in the late 14th or early 15th century in the main street, and was moved to its current site in the late 18th or early 19th century. Although the head of the cross is missing, the shaft and socket stone are original. The cross is in the care of English Heritage and is managed by the National Trust.
The Crescent is a street in Taunton, a town in the English county of Somerset. Construction began in 1807, during a period of extensive redevelopment in the town, driven by the Market House Society and the Member of Parliament Sir Benjamin Hammet. Lined on the eastern side by a Georgian terrace, the street follows a shallow crescent shape, broken in the middle by Crescent Way and a bit further south by St George's Place. It links Upper High Street, at its southern end, with Park Street and Tower Street to the north. On the western side, Somerset County Council have their offices in the County Hall, erected in 1935, and extended in the 1960s. The Georgian terrace, the Masonic Hall, and the County Hall are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as listed buildings.