Taunton Castle began as a Norman motte and bailey in 1138, became a fortified bishop's palace in the twelfth century, and was twice besieged during the Civil War. What survives today is the inner ward — a substantial twelfth-century great hall, parts of the medieval gatehouse, and a moat traced by the modern street pattern.
The castle is the home of the Museum of Somerset, so most visitors see both at the same time. The exterior walks are open year-round and free, with the original Norman gateway at the south end the most photogenic survival. The Castle Hotel, built into the castle wall in the nineteenth century, still serves teas in the courtyard.