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Three old postcards, purchased a good few weeks back.

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From the BBC website, 27th September 2009

£700,000 to restore castle site

A £700,000 conservation grant has been awarded to restore the Bishop's Palace and Keep at Farnham Castle in Surrey. Funds came from the Heritage Lottery Fund for restoration work and to bring the sites under single management.

Previously, the keep was managed by English Heritage and the palace by the Farnham Castle charity, but now the castle charity will run both sites. The palace walls will be restored and urgent repairs and safety work will be carried out at the keep.

Royal site

Jane Weeks, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, said the project would repair and conserve one of the few remaining medieval houses of England. She said the castle was built in 1138 by a grandson of William the Conqueror and went on to play host to monarchs through the ages, including Queen Victoria.

The Bishop of Winchester used the castle as a home and administrative centre until the 1920s. Work is set to start next month and should be completed by the spring.

Farnham mayor Lucinda Fleming said it was an "amazing opportunity" for the town and its residents, and many local people would be involved in activities at the site.

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From 4rfv.co.uk, 14th January 2010

Castle Restoration Boosts Film Potential

One of the most important historical buildings in south east England - and one often used as a TV and cinema location - has announced its 12th Century Keep is to be fully restored. Farnham Castle will undergo the rebuilding work from May, thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of over £700,000. The grant aims to complete the final phase of a separate, major restoration programme which has taken place at the Castle over the past two years.

"Previously, a filming venue for Foyle's War, Location, Location, Location, Cash in the Attic, Simon Schama's History of Britain and Prince Edward's Tales from the Tower, the historic castle is set in five acres of grounds which overlook the picturesque town of Farnham," explained Jeff Toms, Director of Marketing and Client Services at Farnham Castle.

"Representing more than 900 years of living history, most of the monarchs of England from King John to Queen Victoria visited or have stayed at the castle, so the Keep and the Bishop's Palace are popular local tourist attractions," he continued.

"The HLF grant will allow restoration of the Keep and enable us to open it to as wide an audience as possible," he continued, also noting the continuing use for film location work.

"The Castle Keep, which is a scheduled ancient monument, was originally built as a classic motte and bailey castle construction and formerly used as a defensive residence for the Bishops of Winchester. It has an unusual shell keep enclosing a mound which contains the massive foundations of the original Norman tower. The whole site, which includes the Keep, Bishop's Palace, Gatehouse and grounds is enclosed by an outer curtain wall provides the ideal location for filming and photography."

Farnham Castle was built in 1138 by a grandson of William the Conqueror and was a 'political powerhouse' for 800 years under the Bishops of Winchester, the Castle was used as a home and administrative centre until the 1920s. The site has been continually occupied so much of the original fabric and layout of the Grade I and II listed site including examples of a Norman Chapel, 17th century Bishops Chapel as well as a magnificent Grinling Gibbons main staircase, survives in a form that has evolved gradually over time.

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From the BBC Website, 25th June 2010

Farnham Castle keep reopened after restoration

The keep and Bishop's Palace will now be run and managed by one charity One of the South East's most important historical buildings is being reopened to the public after a near-£1m restoration project. Farnham Castle's 12th Century keep was originally a motte and bailey structure built as a defence for the home of the bishops of Winchester.

The present keep encloses a mound containing the foundations of the Norman tower, with a well below. Visitors will now be able to visit the keep free for 300 days every year. It was previously open for only 80 days, and an admission fee was charged. The restoration has taken place with the help of a £700,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

'Fascinating insight'

"We are delighted to see the restoration of the keep complete - a sensitive project that that has clearly improved access and opened up this wonderful asset," said Mark Pemberton, director of properties for English Heritage. "Farnham Castle offers a fascinating insight to our medieval past."

Previously, the keep was managed by English Heritage and the Bishop's Palace by the Farnham Castle charity, but now the castle charity will run both sites. The restoration included the removal of over 200 tonnes of concrete to reveal the historic fabric of the tower and the creation of an oak framed pavilion, staircase and illuminated viewing platform over the tower and well. The site has spectacular views over Farnham.

Friday's opening ceremony is being performed by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, MP for South West Surrey, with the public being admitted from Monday.