Acton Burnell Castle

Acton Burnell Castle is a fortified manor house built by Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells and Lord Chancellor to King Edward I. Burnell obtained a licence to crenellate his manor in 1284 and built the residence between 1284 and 1293. The red‑sandstone building, with corner towers and a spacious hall, was designed to impress rather than to defend; its large traceried windows illuminate a first‑floor hall, solar and private rooms. The ground floor provided storage and service rooms. Burnell also built the nearby St Mary’s Church and laid out a planned village.

In 1283 and 1285, during Edward I’s campaigns in Wales, Parliaments met at Acton Burnell. Many historians consider the 1283 session in Burnell’s tithe barn to be the first Parliament at which elected representatives of the commons sat alongside the barons.

Robert Burnell died in 1292, leaving no legitimate heir. The estate passed through his family and then to the Lovel family. By around 1420 the manor house was abandoned when the family built a new residence, Acton Burnell Hall, nearby. The castle fell into disrepair; by the mid‑17th century it was largely demolished and was later used as a farm building. The south‑west tower was converted into a dovecot with a pyramidal roof in the 18th century.

After the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487 the Lovels’ lands were confiscated, and Henry VII granted Acton Burnell to Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey. In 1643 the property passed to the Smythe family, who built the present Hall.

Present Condition

Today Acton Burnell Castle is a roofless shell consisting of a rectangular block with four corner towers rising to three storeys. The site is maintained by English Heritage and is a scheduled monument. Admission is free, and visitors can walk through the ruined hall and look down into the vaulted storage rooms. There are no facilities on site, but parking is available for a handful of cars. Acton Burnell Castle is generally open during daylight hours, although access may be restricted when the adjacent college closes the gate at dusk. In 2023 and 2025 the site experienced temporary closures for emergency tree work.

Significance

Acton Burnell Castle is important for its association with Robert Burnell, a powerful statesman, and for hosting one of the earliest meetings of Parliament in which representatives of the commons took part. Its red‑sandstone remains illustrate the transition between a fortified manor house and a defensible tower house; the corner towers and large windows display both status and comfort.