Taunton Castle was built in the early 12th Century as a stronghold and administrative centre for the Bishops of Winchester. The castle was improved around 1240, with new wings and offices added as well as a gateway to house the treasury and exchequer. The keep was dismantled after the Restoration and the Great Hall used for Assizes, with rebels being tried by Judge Jeffries. The building was again restored in the 1780s and in 1874 it was acquired be the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society to prevent its demolition.
