Barnstaple Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castle Green

In the civil parish of Barnstaple.
In the historic county of Devon (Modern Authority of Devon, 1974 county of Devon).

Motte and bailey. Known from the early C12 when it is associated with Judhael, Lord of Barnstaple. In 1228 the walls were reduced to a height of 10ft 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 60m in diameter at its base, 20m across at its top and 9.5m high. The level grass covered top has two small, 0.5m high, banks on the north side. There are two lengths of walling. There were two baileys.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SS55553333

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 33893

• Web site links
  • http://britannia.com/history/devon/castles/barnstaplecast.html
• 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) p48
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p53
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p21, 134, 355
    Pevsner, Nikolaus and Cherry, Bridget, 1989, Buildings of England: Devon (Harmondsworth) p152-3
    Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p117-32
    Mildren, James, 1987, Castles of Devon (Bossiney Books) p48-51
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p115
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p184
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p89
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p102
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Wall, C., 1906, in Page, Wm (ed), 'Ancient Earthworks' VCH Devon Vol1 p613-4
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p22
• Journal Articles
  • Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106
    Youngs, S.M. et al, 1988 ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1987' Medieval Archaeology Vol32 p238
    Higham, R.A., 1988, 'Devon Castles: an annotated list' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol46 p142-9
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T.B., 1987, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1986' Medieval Archaeology Vol31 p120
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p311
    Higham, R.A., 1986 'The Origins and Documention of Barnstaple Castle' in Miles, T.J., 1986 p74-81
    Miles, T.J., 1986, 'The Excavation of a Saxon Cemetery and part of a Norman Castle at North Walk, Barnstaple' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol46 p59-84
    Higham, R.A., 1984 'Barnstaple Castle' Devon Archaeology Vol2 p7-9
    Higham, R.A., 1982, 'Early Castles in Devon' Château Gaillard Vol9-10 p101-116
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1980, ‘Medieval Britain in 1979' Medieval Archaeology Vol23 p250
    Markuson, K.W., 1980, ‘Excavations on the Green Lane access site, Barnstaple, 1979' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol38 p67-90
    K W Markuson, 1980, ‘Barnstaple' Archaeology in Devon 3 p19
    Wood, M., 1980, 'Barnstaple, North Gate, east abutment’ Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol38 p123-4
    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]
    Alexander, J., 1941, 'Early Barons of Torrington and Barnstaple' Devonshire Association reports and transactions Vol73 p153-79
    Oliver, B., 1928, 'The Castle of Barnstaple' Devonshire Association reports and transactions Vol60 p215-23
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/cornwalleng.html#devon16]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p105
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p169