Bramber Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle that was founded by William de Braose as a defensive and administrative centre for Bramber, one of the six regions into which Sussex was divided after the Norman Conquest. It is located in the village of Bramber, West Sussex, near the town of Steyning, overlooking the River Adur. It was held by the de Braose family until the 14th century, and then by the Mowbray family until 1450. It was confiscated by King John in the early 13th century, who also imprisoned and starved Lady de Braose and her two sons for defying him. The castle suffered from subsidence and decay in the 16th century, and its stones were used for building roads. It may have been occupied briefly by Parliamentarian forces during the Civil War.
The most visible feature of the castle today is the gatehouse tower, which still stands to almost its full height. Beyond it are the foundations of the living quarters, a kitchen and a guardhouse. The original castle was centred on a high knoll, on which was built a motte (a mound) that probably held a wooden structure. The motte was later abandoned in favour of a three-storey stone keep, of which only one wall still stands. The castle was surrounded by an outer ditch and an outer bank, and a stone wall around the top of the knoll.