Farleigh Hungerford Castle

Farleigh Hungerford Castle is one of Somerset’s most atmospheric medieval strongholds, a place where family ambition, conflict and superstition left a vivid architectural legacy. Built in the late 14th century by Sir Thomas Hungerford, the first recorded Speaker of the House of Commons, it later became infamous for the turbulent lives of his descendants, including Lady Agnes Hungerford, executed in 1523 for the murder of her husband. Inside the outer walls you can explore the partially ruined great hall, with its surviving fireplace and traces of domestic chambers that once hosted a powerful gentry household. The highlight is St Leonard’s Chapel, remarkably preserved and still holding its 15th‑century wall paintings. Beneath it lies the crypt, where the Hungerford family’s lead coffins rest in their original positions, an eerie and unique sight in English castles. The Lady Tower offers a glimpse into the defensive layout, while interpretation panels across the site help reconstruct daily life, political intrigue and the castle’s gradual decline after the Civil War. Farleigh Hungerford Castle remains a compact but richly layered destination, combining dramatic ruins with rare medieval art and unforgettable stories.