Sherborne Old Castle was begun by Roger de Caen, Bishop of Salisbury, in the 12th century and later leased to Sir Walter Raleigh. Raleigh found the old fortress damp and uncomfortable, which helps explain why he built a newer house nearby.
The ruins are still substantial enough to fire the imagination. They were slighted after a fierce Civil War siege in 1645, leaving broken walls, towers, and views over the surrounding parkland.