A classic downland village, Bramber boasts the remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle built in 1070 by the powerful de Braose family. Today only the gatehouse survives to any great extent. The village was once a busy seaport on the River Adur, but the silting of the estuary left Bramber well inland.
Apart from the castle, the most interesting historic building in Bramber is St Mary's House, a medieval dwelling built around 1470 by Bishop William Wayneflete. The house was intended to serve as a residence for four monks who served as bridge wardens for an important crossing of the Adur.
The building was extended to include panelled chambers and Elizabethan paintings. Queen Elizabeth I is known to have stayed here, as did Charles II. More recently, St Mary's House was used by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the setting for his Sherlock Holmes mystery, The Musgrave Ritual.
About Bramber
Address: Bramber,
West Sussex,
England
Attraction Type: Village
Location: On the A283, 13 miles south of Horsham
Location map
OS: TQ 1872 1064
Photo Credit: David Ross and Britain Express
HERITAGE
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Historic Time Periods:
Find other attractions tagged with:
castle (Architecture) - Charles II (Person) - Elizabeth I (Person) - Elizabethan (Architecture) - Medieval (Time Period) - motte and bailey (Historical Reference) - Norman (Architecture) - Queen Elizabeth (Person) -
NEARBY HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS
Heritage Rated from 1- 5 (low to exceptional) on historic interest
Bramber Castle - 0 miles (Castle) 
Bramber, St Nicholas Church - 0 miles (Historic Church)
St Mary's House - 0.1 miles (Historic Building) 
Steyning Museum - 0.7 miles (Museum) 
Botolphs, St Botolph Church - 0.7 miles (Historic Church)
Lancing College Chapel - 2.6 miles (Historic Church)
Chanctonbury Ring - 3.1 miles (Prehistoric Site)
Cissbury Ring - 3.3 miles (Prehistoric Site)
Nearest Holiday Cottages to Bramber:
Upper Beeding, West Sussex
Sleeps: 8
Stay from: £704 - 2547
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