Amberley Castle facts for kids
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Amberley Castle is a very old and interesting building. It stands in the village of Amberley, in West Sussex, England.
The castle began as a large country house, called a manor house, in the 1100s. In 1377, it was made much stronger. It got thick stone walls, towers in each corner, a big hall, and a main gate. It was used as a strong fort by the bishops of Chichester. Today, the walls, gate, and two towers are still standing. They are protected as a Grade I listed building. The castle is now a privately owned hotel.
Contents
The Castle's Long History
From Manor to Fortress
The land where Amberley Castle is built was given to a church group in AD 683. This happened long before the Norman conquest. After the conquest, the church leaders, known as the Bishops of Chichester, continued to own the land.
The first building here was a wooden lodge. Bishop Ralph de Luffa built it in 1103. This wooden building was later taken down in 1140. Bishop Seffrid I replaced it with a grander stone hall. Around 1200, Bishop Seffrid II added the East Wing.
Between 1305 and 1337, Bishop John Langton added an even bigger Great Hall. At this time, the place became known as the Bishop of Chichester’s Summer Palace.
Fortification and Changes
Bishop William Reade later replaced the Great Hall with an even better one. In 1377, he got special permission to make the site a true fortress. He added the strong gatehouse and a dungeon called an oubliette. Walls as high as 40 feet were built all around the castle.
Bishop Robert Sherborne was the last Bishop of Chichester to live at the castle. He passed away in 1536. After his time, the castle was rented out to many different people.
During the English Civil War, the person renting the castle supported the King. Because of this, Oliver Cromwell ordered his general, William Waller, to attack the castle. This attack caused a lot of damage. The castle walls lost 20 feet of their height, and the Great Hall was destroyed.
The castle was then sold to a person named Mr. Butler. But after the King returned to power in 1660, the castle was given back to the Bishop of Chichester. The Butler family continued to rent it, and then the Briscoe family took over.
New Owners and a Hotel
In 1872, the castle was sold to Robert Curzon, who was the 15th Lord Zouche. He used it as a place for hunting. In 1893, he sold it to Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk. This Duke was known for building and fixing up places. He renovated Amberley Castle. He also worked on Arundel Castle and built Arundel Cathedral.
Over the years, the castle changed hands many times. In 1926, the Emmet family owned it. Later, it was owned by Hollis Baker in 1982, an American family in 1987, and then Joy and Martin Cummings in 1988. The Cummings family turned the castle into a very successful country house hotel.
From 2004 to 2011, it was part of a special group of luxury hotels called Relais & Châteaux. Today, Amberley Castle is owned by Andrew and Christina Brownsword. It continues to operate as a beautiful hotel within their Brownsword Hotel group.
