Sham Castle
| Sham Castle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Claverton Down, Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 51°22′57″N 2°20′15″W / 51.38250°N 2.33750°W |
| Built | 1762 |
| Architect | Sanderson Miller |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Designated | 1 February 1956[1] |
| Reference no. | 32038 |
  Location of Sham Castle in Somerset | |
Sham Castle is a folly on Claverton Down overlooking the city of Bath, Somerset, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.[1][2] It is a screen wall with a central pointed arch flanked by two 3-storey circular turrets, which extend sideways to a 2-storey square tower at each end of the wall.[1]
It was probably designed around 1755 by Sanderson Miller and built in 1762 by Richard James, master mason for Ralph Allen, "to improve the prospect" from Allen's town house in Bath.[3]
Sham Castle is now illuminated at night.[4]
Generic term
Other 18th-century so-called "sham castles" exist at Hagley Hall, Clent Grove, Castle Hill, Filleigh and two at Croome Court (Dunstall and Pirton castles).
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Ralph Allen's nearby Prior Park Landscape Garden is home to the Sham Bridge.[5] This structure is likewise a screen at the end of the Serpentine Lake which appears to be a bridge. Much like the Sham Castle, it dates from the mid-18th century.
Another nearby folly castle is that of Midford Castle. Sham Castle is one of three follies overlooking Bath, the others being Beckford's Tower and Brown's Folly.
References
- ^ a b c "Sham Castle". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
- ^ Historic England. "Sham Castle (Grade II*) (1312449)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ^ Dunning, Robert (1995). Somerset Castles. Tiverton: Somerset Books. p. 77. ISBN 0-86183-278-7.
- ^ Scott, Shane (1995). The hidden places of Somerset. Aldermaston: Travel Publishing Ltd. pp. 16–17. ISBN 1-902007-01-8.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Prior Park". Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2015.