Bridgwater Castle

Bridgwater Castle
Bridgwater, Somerset
Remains of the mansion on the site of the castle keep, with houses to the right on Castle Street. Lithograph after a painting in the mid 18th century by John Chubb
Bridgwater Castle is located in Somerset
Bridgwater Castle
Bridgwater Castle
Coordinates51°08′07″N 2°59′56″W / 51.1352°N 2.9990°W / 51.1352; -2.9990
Grid referencegrid reference ST302378
TypeCastle
Site history
Built1202
Built byWilliam Brewer
In use1202-1645
MaterialsOld Red Sandstone
Demolished1645

Bridgwater Castle was a castle in the town of Bridgwater, Somerset, England.

The stone castle was built around 1220 and contributed to the development of the town. It was surrounded by a moat and included a watergate giving access to the quay. In the 13th and 14th centuries the castle was involved in the Second Barons' War and Despenser War.

It then fell into ruin and parts were demolished in the first half of the 17th century and a new house built. Some of the walls survived and it played a minor role in the English Civil War and Monmouth Rebellion. In the later 17th and early 18th centuries many of the remaining buildings were demolished and new residential and industrial buildings constructed, giving its name to Castle Street. The watergate and some sections of wall survive.