| Summary : Remains of a Norman motte and bailey. Known from the early 12th century, when it is associated with Judhael, Lord of Barnstaple. In 1228 the walls were reduced to a height of 10 feet on royal orders. In a state of disrepair in 1328, it was a ruin in Leland's time. The castle mound and vestiges of its ditch are all that now survives. The mound is approximately 60 metres in diameter at its base, 20 metres across at its top and 14 metres high. The level grass covered top has two small, 0.5 metre high, banks on the north side. There are two lengths of walling. The bailey lay to the north west and was originally enclosed by a bank and moat. Evidence of a Saxon Burh and cemetery were revealed in excavations in the 1970s. For the cemetery see record 34028. Scheduled. |
More information : (Centred at SS 55553333) Castle Mound (NR). (1)
SS 556334. Motte and bailey. Excavations in 1927 revealed a clay-set rubble revetment to the motte and part of the keep on the motte, a straight length of wall 16 feet thick on the west side, principally limestone set in gravelly mortar, and other fragments suggesting a shell 65 feet across externally with an outer mantle wall 3 1/2 feet thick.
The castle is mentioned in a charter of Judeal, the 'Domesday' tenant, and was held by him in 1113, but was weak and powerless in Stephen's reign. (2)
The castle had two baileys, the outer one being bounded by Tuly Street and Holland Street. A fragment of wall with mooring posts, called 'Quay Wall' (SS 55633320) aligned on this bailey, was found when building the police station. It is probable that the castle exists within the "Castle House" (SS 53 SE 20) with domestic buildings to the west against the inner bailey wall. A well, now covered, still exists (at SS 55543337) and skeletons found north of Castle House suggest a cemetery. (See record 34028). (3)
The castle mound and vestiges of its ditch are all that now survives of Barnstaple Castle. The mound is approximately 60.0m in diameter at its base, 20.0m across at its top and 9.5m high. The level grass-covered top has two small, 0.5m high, banks on the north side; two lengths of walling built into the side of the mound, just below the top, may represent part of the outer walling of the keep. A scarp 0.5m high to the N of the mound appears to be a landscape feature utilizing the lip of the former ditch.
Surveyed at 1:1250 on PFD. (4)
Castle, at the W end of the town, between the rivers Taw and Yeo. Motte and bailey, the very large motte towards the town. The bailey, now occupied by Castle Green, is bounded by land reclaimed from the estuary in modern times. A second bailey on the town side, suggested from documentary references, has never been proven. Excavations in the 1920's showed that the defensive ditches received water direct from the estuary. On top of the motte, foundations of a circular stone tower, 65ft in diameter with walls 10ft thick, surrounded by an outer wall of lighter build.
The castle existed by the early C12th, when it was associated with Judhael, formerly of Totnes (qv), created Lord of Barnstaple by Henry I. In 1136, Alfred, son of Judhael, abandoned it because it was weak. The walls may date from the time of Henry de Tracey, who was granted the castle by King Stephen. In 1228 the defensive walls were reduced to a height of 10ft on royal orders; but a hall, chamber, kitchen, and other buildings were mentioned in 1274, a chapel in 1333. The castle was in some disrepair by 1326, and in ruins by Leland's day. (5)
The Motte as described is well preserved. Its perimeter fringe was recently extended when a sunken metalled path was infilled with earth. A 60m long, 6m wide stretch of ditch up to 1.1m deep lies in the NE quadrant. It was exposed by excavation after a few buildings were demolished. (6)
A detailed survey of the castle mound was undertaken in 1985 by I.Perry and G.Dempsey. (7)
Listed by Cathcart King. (8)
SS 55573333. Fragments of a stone defensive wall and an inner circular tower survive on the motte. The structure is thought to comprise a shell keep with enclosed tower, with wing walls descending the slope of the motte. A document of 1274 records the existence of a hall, chamber and kitchen on the mound. The bailey lay to the north west and would have held some of the ancillary buildings of the castle. Excavated evidence suggests that the bailey rampart was faced in stone in the late medieval period. The motte may have been connected to the bailey via a drawbridge, though no evidence survives. Scheduled. . For the designation record of this site please see The National Heritage List for England. (9-10)
Although the castle is documented from the 12th century, partial excavation in the 1970s discovered the buried remains of the Norman bailey and of a rare Saxon burh, or fortified settlement, including 105 Saxon skeletons now housed at the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon. (11)
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