Walton Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walton Castle |
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| Location | Clevedon, North Somerset, England |
| Built | 17th Century |
| Restored | 1984 |
| Restored by | Margarita Hamilton |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Designated | 22 July 1987 |
| Reference no. | 33170 |
Walton Castle is an old building from the 1600s. It sits on a hill in Clevedon, North Somerset, England. This castle is a special historic building, known as a Grade II listed site. It was built where an even older Iron Age hill fort once stood.
Contents
The Castle's Story: From Hunting Lodge to Home
Early Days and Purpose
The land where Walton Castle stands was mentioned in the Domesday Book. This was a very old survey of England made in 1086. It said the land belonged to someone named "Gunni The Dane."
The castle you see today was built much later. It was constructed between 1615 and 1620. The builder was John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett. He was a powerful person and a MP (a politician) for Somerset.
Lord Poulett built Walton Castle as a hunting lodge. This was a special house used when he went hunting. It was a place to stay and relax after a day of hunting.
Changes Over Time
During the English Civil War (a big war in England in the 1640s), Lord Poulett's family lost a lot of their wealth. Because of this, the castle was not kept up. By 1791, it was empty and falling apart. A local farmer even used it to store dairy products like milk and cheese!
In the early 1800s, a man named Philip John Miles bought the castle and the land around it. His family owned many other large properties too. The castle stayed in the Miles family for a long time.
In 1975, Sir William Miles, who owned the castle then, offered to give the ruined building to the public. He hoped money could be found to fix it up. However, the cost to repair it grew too high, and the plan did not work out.
Bringing the Castle Back to Life
Restoration Efforts
In 1979, Sir William Miles's daughter and her husband, Martin Sessions-Hodge, decided to restore the castle themselves. They spent a lot of money and over a year making the ruined castle into a modern home. It became a house with five bedrooms and three bathrooms.
In 1984, they sold the castle to Rai and Margarita Hamilton. Margarita Hamilton owned a record studio. They made more changes to the castle. Some of these changes had to be put back to how they were. This was because the castle is a listed building, meaning its original features must be protected.
Community Events
Margarita Hamilton often hosted charity events at the castle. These events helped raise money for good causes. For example, in 2009, the comedian Bill Bailey was a special guest at an event there. This event helped raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, which supports young people with cancer.
Later, Margarita sold her part of the castle in 2013. The castle continues to be a unique and historic building in Clevedon.
Images for kids
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Walton Castle
