Sham Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sham Castle |
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| Location | Claverton Down, Somerset, England |
| Built | 1762 |
| Architect | Sanderson Miller |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Designated | 1 February 1956 |
| Reference no. | 32038 |
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Sham Castle is a cool, fake castle on a hill called Claverton Down. It looks over the city of Bath in Somerset, England. It's not a real castle where people lived or fought battles. Instead, it's a "folly," which means it was built just for fun or to look pretty. It's also a special old building, protected as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historic place.
The castle is mainly a wall with a pointy arch in the middle. On each side of the arch, there are two round towers that are three stories tall. These towers stretch out to square towers, two stories high, at each end of the wall.
It was probably designed around 1755 by an architect named Sanderson Miller. A master builder named Richard James built it in 1762. He built it for Ralph Allen, who was a wealthy businessman in Bath. Allen wanted the castle to "improve the prospect," meaning it made the view from his town house look even better!
Today, Sham Castle is lit up at night, making it a cool sight to see.
What is a Sham Castle?
A "sham castle" is a building that looks like a castle but isn't a real one. It's built for decoration or to create a nice view. These types of buildings were popular in the 1700s.
Other places in England also have "sham castles" from the 18th century. Some examples include:
- Hagley Hall
- Clent Grove
- Castle Hill, Filleigh
- Two at Croome Court (called Dunstall and Pirton castles)
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Other Follies Near Bath
Ralph Allen also had another "sham" structure nearby called the Sham Bridge. It's in his Prior Park Landscape Garden. This bridge is actually just a screen at the end of a lake. It looks like a real bridge, but it's just for show. Like Sham Castle, it was built in the mid-1700s.
Another interesting fake castle near Bath is Midford Castle. Sham Castle is one of three famous "follies" that you can see overlooking Bath. The other two are Beckford's Tower and Brown's Folly.
