Stogursey Castle

Stogursey Castle, a medieval fortress near Bridgwater in Somerset, was built by the de Courcys family in the late 11th or early 12th century as part of a defensive chain extending from Dunster to Montacute protecting Somerset from seaborne invasion. The castle features a classic motte-and-bailey design with a 60-metre-wide mound surrounded by water-filled moats fed from the Stogursey Brook, originally constructed with timber buildings atop the earthworks. While most of the site remains in ruins, the thatched gatehouse—converted to a cottage in the 17th century—is now managed by the Landmark Trust as a holiday rental, preserving this Norman fortification's legacy near the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.