| Summary : A Post Medieval building and curtain wall with towers, known as Walton Castle, visible as ruins, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1950. The castle was, in fact, a castellated Gothic folly/hunting lodge, constructed c.1620 by the first Lord Poulett, whose family seat was actually in Hinton St George in Somerset. Located on the southwestern end of Walton Common, overlooking Clevedon, the castle had fallen into ruins by the 1790s. The first rebuild of the castle began in 1979 by a relative of the owner at that time, Sir William Miles from Walton-in-Gordano, who used it as a family home. The castle building is octagonal in shape; with each wall about 4 metres long. A polygonal turret, about 4.5 metres in diameter, is located on the southeast side and extends a storey higher than the main castle structure. A two storey rectangular extension, about 5 metres wide by 3 metres deep, projects from the northeast side. Surrounding the castle is an octagonal, crenellated curtain wall about 1.5 metres thick and 38 metres in diameter; from each corner of which extends a crenellated circular tower. A photograph dated to 1877 shows that the height of the southwestern wall reaches the same height as its two flanking towers and has some crenellations visible, whilst the remaining wall heights appear to be about half the height of the towers and have no visible crenellations. Aerial photographs taken in 1982 show the castle and the surrounding curtain wall have been rebuilt, although the wall turrets remain roofless and covered in vegetation. However, in aerial photographs taken in 1986, the curtain wall turrets have been re-roofed and repaired. |
More information : [ST 4156 7286] Walton Castle [NAT]. (1)
Walton Castle was built c. 1615-20 by the first Lord Poulett. It is
an ornamental hunting lodge. (2)
The extent of the park is shown on an early 19th c. map. (3)
Scheduled. (4)
Grimm depicted the castle in 1788, see AO/65/44/6. The remains are
now in poor condition. See AO/62/128/7 and 8. The park boundary
consists of modern field banks and walls with no trace of an earthen
pale. (5)
No change. (6)
Walton Castle, descheduled. (7)
Walton Castle - now undergoing conversion into a private dwelling. (8)
A Post Medieval building and curtain wall with towers, known as Walton Castle, visible as ruins, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1950. The castle was, in fact, a castellated Gothic folly/hunting lodge, constructed c.1620 by the first Lord Poulett, whose family seat was actually in Hinton St George in Somerset. Located on the southwestern end of Walton Common, overlooking Clevedon, the castle had fallen into ruins by the 1790s. The first rebuild of the castle began in 1979 by a relative of the owner at that time, Sir William Miles from Walton-in-Gordano, who used it as a family home. The castle was resold in 1984 and the new owners carried out further renovations, living there until after 1999, when it was subsequently resold. The three storey castle building, centred at ST 4156 7287, is octagonal in shape; with each wall about 4 metres long. A polygonal turret, about 4.5 metres in diameter, is located on the southeast side and extends a storey higher than the main castle structure. A two storey rectangular extension, about 5 metres wide by 3 metres deep, projects from the northeast side. Surrounding the castle is an octagonal, crenellated curtain wall about 1.5 metres thick and 38 metres in diameter; from each corner of which extends a crenellated circular tower of varying diameters. A photograph dated to 1877 shows that the height of the southwestern wall reaches the same height as its two flanking towers and has some crenellations visible, whilst the remaining wall heights appear to be about half the height of the towers and have no visible crenellations. Aerial photographs taken in 1982 show the castle and the surrounding curtain wall have been rebuilt, although the wall turrets remain roofless and covered in vegetation. However, in aerial photographs taken in 1986, the curtain wall turrets have been re-roofed and repaired. (9-14)
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