Castle Corner Tower Chandos Street

This plaque marks the site of a castle corner tower.

William Briwere rose from relatively humble origins to becoming one of the most powerful men in all England and close friend to King John. He had ambitious plans for Bridgwater and transformed it from a humble farming community into a town and port with lucrative markets. Briwere also set about building an impressive castle in his new power centre, his own personal prestige residence. The castle stretched from the Cornhill to the river, from the north of King Square to Fore Street. In its time it would have been one of the most impressive in the country and even into the sixteenth century, despite the great ruin that befell it, it was still recognised as a strong and grand structure.

Under Chandos Street are the remains of one of the corner towers of the castle. Excavations revealed strong yellow ham stone foundations built into the old river bank, with a patterned cream and red Wembdon sandstone walls rising above this. The edge of the moat was also revealed which contained a weir which stopped water from pouring into the River. During these excavations, on the small bank between castle wall and the moat there was discovered a series of graves. The bodies probably belonged to felons, presumably executed in the castle and buried in un-consecrated ground, a huge shame in medieval society.

The foundations of the castle corner tower being excavated in February 1984. This is taken from West Quay and Chandos Street is to the left. 
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