Holwell Castle, Parracombe

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

Fine motte and bailey measuring 40m in diameter and 6.2m high above the bottom of a rock cut ditch which is 2.7m deep. The ditch is complete apart from on the north and west sides where the bailey impinges. Within the bailey are traces of five building platforms terraced into the hillside. On the summit of the mottte is a linear hollow thought to be the remains of the 1905 excavation. A survey carried out in 1995 after a period of drought located the keep on the summit and a wing hall on the motte slopes.

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 SS66974460

PastScape number; 34709

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) p87 [slight]
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1
Grinsell, L.V., 1970, The archaeology of Exmoor: Bideford Bay to Bridgwater p134-5, 213
Wall, C., 1906, in Page, Wm (ed), 'Ancient Earthworks' VCH Devon Vol1 p620

Journal Articles

Higham, R.A., 2000, 'Paracombe' Archaeological Journal Vol157 p445-8
Higham, R.A., 1988, 'Devon Castles: an annotated list' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol46 p142-9
Higham, R.A., 1982, 'Early Castles in Devon' Château Gaillard Vol9-10 p101-116
Barham, 1839, Royal Institute of Cornwall 21st report p28

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Holwell Castle, Parracombe

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SS66974460

Sources of information, references and further reading