Devon's Castles and Forts

Stark military fort or romantic battlemented ancestral hall? Mediaeval ruin or modern stately dwelling? Take your pick of the fascinating medley of castles scattered around Devon.

Drop back into the 13th century at Totnes to discover how people defended themselves in their tower keeps with bows and arrows and boiling oil. Moving on to the 15th century, guns were in common use and Dartmouth Castle was one of the first to carry them.

But castles were not always built as a defence against dangerous invading foes - Plymouth Royal Citadel was built in 1666 to subdue the townsfolk, who had been on the parliamentarian side in the Civil War. Last of the mighty military fortresses, Crownhill Fort still looms over Plymouth, once of a Ring of Fire surrounding the city, built in Victorian times to defend the dockyard against the French.

Home to the Dukes of Devon for centuries, Powderham Castle began life as a manor first mentioned in Domesday Book and has grown in size and stature to a magnificent estate. Compton Castle too was a fortified manor house in origin, now a romantic sight with its wonderful fortified towers and battlements. Castle Drogo, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, is said to be the last castle built in England, and is certainly one of the stateliest.