Originally defending an important port on the River Adur, William De Braose constructed the motte and bailey castle at Bramber in 1070, along with the Norman church. Bramber Castle remained in the
ownership of the De Braose family until the line died out in 1324.
Despite very little surviving, the basic layout of some areas of Bramber Castle can still be identified.
Little is known of its history and even records kept during the Civil War only mention a 'skirmish' in the village in 1642. However, during the Civil War the castle was attacked and destroyed by Parliamentary forces, who used the nearby church as a gun emplacement. It is likely the locals used the castle's stones in their own buildings, after the civil war. Although there is not much to see among the fragments of ruins, the site does have a wonderful setting.