Acton Burnell Castle
In the late 13th
Century Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells and Chancellor
of England, built a large manor house here.
Burnell was a long time
friend of King Edward 1, and on a visit to Acton Burnell in 1283
the King summoned one of the first Parliaments that included both
Commons and Lords. It is thought that the meeting was held in a
large barn, of which today only the end walls remain.
Subsequently Burnell was given permission by the King to fortify
the manor house, creating a castle. The ruins now known as Acton
Burnell Castle are those of the fortified central quarters used
by Burnell and his family.
In the 18th Century these ruins were retained as an ornamental
feature in the grounds of Acton Burnell Hall, which succeeded the
castle and is now in use as a private college.
