Brampton Bryan Castle

Brampton Bryan Castle is a castle in the small village of Brampton Bryan in north-western Herefordshire, England, 50m south of the River Teme. The castle guarded an important road from Ludlow along the Teme Valley to Knighton and on into Central Wales. The castle is listed in the Domesday Book (1086). In 1295 it was described as a "tower with curtilage". The castle was almost entirely destroyed during the Civil War. The ruins that are still standing include an outer gate house, parts of the inner gatehouse, part of the south wall of the kitchen, and the great hall. When Bryan de Brampton died in 1294, his son-in-law, Robert Harley, inherited the castle. For almost 700 years since the castle has remained in the Harley family. During the Civil War, the castle was defended by Lady Brilliana Harley, the wife of Robert Harley. Harley was a puritan and a Member of Parliament.