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Plympton Castle
In the civil parish of Plymouth.
In the historic county of Devon (Modern Authority of Plymouth; City of, 1974 county of Devon).
The castle was established in or after 1100 but before 1130, by either Richard de Revers or his son Baldwin and was probably built in timber with a motte and bailey. It was destroyed in 1136. Rebuilt in stone with a shell keep in 1141 by Baldwin de Revers. An inner circle tower was built on the motte top. The castle was confiscated by King John in 1204. It was beseiged and taken in 1224. It is also mentioned in 1294 and 1297, when repairs were undertaken. There is further evidence of maintenance in 1382, but by Leland's time, the walls were standing but the lodges had fallen into decay. According to tradition it was finally destroyed in 1647. Fragments of the shell keep survive as does the motte. Killas rubble walls about 3m thick and surviving in places to about 4m high; putlog holes. Circular on plan with evidence for doorway to its S side with deep draw-bar slot on its right (Pevsner notes 2 slots and suggests that they were for reinforcing timbers). It has been suggested that there was also a central tower within the keep as at Launceston Castle. Large bailey to west with very high earthworks.
This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Masonry Castle.
The confidence
that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry footings remains.
This site is a scheduled
monument protected by law.
This site is a
Grade 2* listed
building protected by law*. (Images
of England number 473187)
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX54465575
PastScape number;
438419
- Web site links
- Books
- Higham, Robert A., 1999, 'Castles, Fortified Houses and Fortified Towns in the Middle Ages' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W., Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p136-43
Salter, Mike, 1999, The Castles of Devon and Cornwall (Malvern) p77
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p61-2
Pevsner, Nikolaus and Cherry, Bridget, 1989, Buildings of England: Devon (Harmondsworth) p683
Mildren, James, 1987, Castles of Devon (Bossiney Books) p78-81
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p118
Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p276
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
Sanders, I.J., 1960, English Baronies p137-8
Bracken, 1931, History of Plymouth (Plymouth) p14-15
Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p101
Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
Wall, C., 1906, in Page, Wm (ed), 'Ancient Earthworks' VCH Devon Vol1 p620-1
Brooking-Rowe, S.R. 1906, A History of the Borough of Plympton Earle, the Castle and Manor of Plympton (Exeter) esp p38-78
Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p38
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p356
Lysons, D. and S., 1822, Magna Britannia Vol6 Devon p. cccxlv-cccxlviii [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.asp?pubid=406]
- Journal Articles
- Higham, R.A., 1988, 'Devon Castles: an annotated list' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol46 p142-
Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p315
Higham, R.A., Goddard, S. and Rouillard, M., 1985, 'Plympton Castle, Devon' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol43 p59-75
Higham, R.A., 1982, 'Early Castles in Devon' Château Gaillard Vol9-10 p101-116
Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
Rowe, 1877-8, Plymouth Institute Vol6 p246-74
Hine, 1866-7, Plymouth Institute Vol2 p81-6
- Guidebooks
- 1987, Plympton Castle (Devon Archaeological Society Field Guide No3)
- Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
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to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant |
The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English
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It is an offence to disturb a
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*The listed building
may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site
of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
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