Castles, Forts & Caves

Devon has a rich historical past and fascinating geology, and plenty of tales of wealthy landowners and cunning pirates ... who used caves or built castles and forts to protect their hard- (or ill-) gotten gains.

Some of Devon's castles and forts are many hundreds of years old, whilst others are interesting because of their relative youth; some are in great shape whilst others are now fascinating ruins. Some Devon caves are maintained and open to the public, whilst some are more hidden and waiting to be discovered. Take a look below to see what interests you and spend a day amongst Devon's history.

Well-known forts and castles in Devon

There are many castles and forts around Devon, but these some of the better-known ones.

Berry Pomeroy Castle: a romantic ruin in a secluded Devon valley location, Berry Pomeroy Castle was begun by the Pomeroy family in the 15th century.

Dartmouth Castle: Built by John Hawley in 1388. Hawley was a swashbuckling character, part civic politician, part privateer, and the apparent model for Chaucer's 'Shipman' in The Canterbury Tales.

Okehampton Castle: once the largest fortress in Devon, it’s now a picturesque - and apparently haunted - ruin set on a high ridge looking over the River Okement.

Powderham Castle: this fortified manor house was expanded and altered extensively in the 18th and 19th centuries, most notably by James Wyatt in the 1790s. The castle remains the seat of the Courtenay family, Earls of Devon.

Bickleigh Castle: the main building here was destroyed during the English Civil War, but other buildings survived, mostly arranged around a central courtyard.

Compton Castle: this fortified manor house is a Grade 1 set of buildings, and has been in the care of National Trust since 1951.

Tiverton Castle: offers a remarkable range of architecture spanning 900 years of history, from medieval to moder. The castle was built on the orders of Henry I in 1106.

Lydford Castle: this 13th-century square tower keep had a notorious reputation as a prison. Nearby are remains of an earlier Norman earthwork fortress, and a 9th-century Saxon village.

Totnes Castle: originally built in the classic early Norman design as a timber fortification on a high motte, surrounded by a bailey. The original wooden fortress was replaced by a stone keep around 1219 and rebuilt around 1326 AD – which is what we see today.

Devon caves

Kents Cavern: where the earliest evidence for Homo sapiens has been found in Britain and North-west Europe. All the major chambers are open to the public, though there are further chambers and passages that require some caving knowledge to explore.

Beer Quarry Caves: a man-made limestone underground complex, and the main source for beer stone. The underground tunnels resulted from 2,000 years of quarrying beer stone, which was particularly favoured for cathedral and church features

Chudleigh Cavern: a deep limestone cave that contains stalactites. A small part is open to the public, with the rest being open only to experienced cavers.

Reed's Cave: an extensive system with beautiful cave formations, though public access is rarely allowed.