The Talbots received these lands from Henry II in 1174 and remained in residence until 1973, save for a brief interruption during the Cromwellian period. In 1653, the family was outlawed and their estate passed to Miles Corbet, though the Restoration saw the property returned to them in 1665.

The castle’s irregular form and varying heights reveal centuries of architectural evolution. Its late medieval core, though now largely concealed, forms the heart of the structure. Around 1760, a major rebuilding programme saw the construction of a symmetrical wing with corner towers, wrapping around the earlier castle to create a castellated Georgian Gothic façade. The ground floor of the medieval section retains its vaulted ceilings, accessed through a Gothic doorway, whilst a spiral staircase in the south-eastern tower leads to the upper chambers. The Oak Room, situated on the first floor adjacent to the medieval hall, showcases remarkable 16th-century carved panelling and corbel heads of Edward IV. Above the fireplace, a Flemish carving depicts the Assumption of the Virgin, adding to the room’s rich decorative scheme.

Recent archaeological work has revealed fascinating glimpses of the castle’s earliest phases. During conservation work in 2010 and 2011, excavations uncovered steps at the north-west corner of the older structure and traces of an early enclosing wall beneath the Butler’s House. Most intriguingly, archaeologists discovered a substantial ditch, 1.7 metres wide, which once encircled the 15th-century tower house before being sealed beneath what appears to be a late medieval courtyard. These findings suggest the castle’s defences were more extensive than previously understood, adding another layer to this remarkable building’s long and complex history.