The first Castle in the village of St. Briavels would have been a wooden fortress built on a defensive earthwork, and was thought to be an administration office for the Sheriff of Gloucester, Walter Durand. The first recorded data for the Castle is in 1129 when Walter's son, Miles, sent a pipe scroll to King Henry I. King John was one Royal to stay at the Castle, as he used the surrounding area as one of his hunting grounds. The main function of the Castle was originally as a munitions depot,manufacturing axes, picks, shovels, nails and horseshoes in the late 12th century. The manufacture and storage of iron products continued until the end of the 14th century. During the 15th century, use of the Castle diminished and the Royal visits stopped and by the 16th the hall was too ruinous and expensive to heat. The only areas which were still in use and maintained were the chapel and the solar, while the western part of the gatehouse was used as a prison. From 1850 to 1910 some rooms in the Castle were used as a school and subsequently formed into a private residence. Now, maintained by English Heritage, it is leased by the Crown to the Youth Hostel Association. Paranormal sightings include that of a Grey Lady standing by a doorway and of two Knights in armour that patrol the grounds and the Castle.