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Path: Photos > England > South West England > English Heritage Sites in the South West
Tags: UK England EnglishHeritage 2022

English Heritage Sites in the South West

(vero;2022-Jan-31)

South West England in EH's world covers Wiltshire, Bristol and Bath, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and the Isles of Scilly.

10.12.2021: our first EH outing, a day trip to Stonehenge (Wiltshire). We have a dedicated photo gallery for this mythical site.

13.06.2022: Portland Castle in Dorset. Another of Henry VIII's castles built to protect the kingdom from the threat of French or Spanish invasions. This one was protecting the bay of Weymouth, an important deep-water anchorage sheltered from bad weather conditions by the Isle of Portland and the natural barrier of Hamm Beach and Chesil Beach. As such, it was a valuable refuge for English ships but also an attractive target for enemies, where they could land troops and supplies for an invasion. As things go it never had to face foreign forces but was heavily fought over during the English civil wars when Royalist and Parliamentary forces struggled over the control of Weymouth.

14.06.2022: St Catherine's chapel in Abbotsbury, Dorset. This hilltop chapel was built by the monks of Abbotsbury Abbey as a place where they could escape for private prayer or meditation during Lent and was also used as a pilgrimage place dedicated to Saint Catherine. The building as such (estimated to have been erected in the 14th century) is nothing to write home about, but it is well worth the climb to enjoy the view over Abbotsbury and the surrounding countryside.

14.06.2022: view over the village of Abbotsbury (Dorset) from the hill top of St Catherine's Chapel. Somewhere down in the village is another English Heritage site featuring the remains of the abbey. We made the effort of seeking them out, but believe us, it is really not worth it, there's nothing left standing but a wall of the former abbot's building. Have a look at the parish church instead.

15.06.2022: Maiden Castle in Dorset, two miles south of Dorchester. We were not sure about this site but it was on our way, so we made a small detour and it was a very good idea. Its vast earth walls (or ramparts if you prefer), three of them in total, enclose an area the size of fifty football pitches which was home to several hundred people in the Iron Age (800 BC to AD 43 when the Romans took over the place). Of course, there is nothing left on the ground (except for the foundations of a Roman temple) but strolling through the central area and walking along the earth walls is very evocative. We were not disappointed.

15.06.2022: the gatehouse of Sherborne Old Castle in Dorset. Originally a fortified 12th-century bishop’s palace, Sherborne Old Castle was leased to Sir Walter Raleigh in 1592 who transformed it into a more modern mansion; the castle was returned to the Crown after Raleigh's fall of grace in 1603 and was eventually bought by the Digby family in 1617 who extended it further and made it to their seat. As such, it became a powerful Royalist base during the civil war and saw fierce fighting, changing hands several times, finally surrendering in August 1645 to the Parliamentary forces. And that was pretty much the end of this castle: it was slighted in October of the same year and fell quickly into ruins. The Digby family set out to build a new castle nearby using material from the old one in the process and incorporating the ruins in the landscaping of the grounds (designed by Capability Brown… who else…).

15.06.2022: Sherborne Old Castle in Dorset. There is not much left to see but the mighty gatehouse, the remains of the great tower and the ruins of the palace. This picture shows a hint of former architectural features: the first floor was where the castle chapel was and some of its fine decoration can still be seen. The good thing about visiting Sherborne Old Castle was that it brought us to the charming town of Sherborne and its superb abbey church, a much more rewarding site to visit. You should not miss it!

15.06.2022: Old Wardour Castle in Wiltshire. We have a dedicated photo gallery for this site.

15.06.2022: Old Sarum in Wiltshire. Old Sarum combines a royal castle and a cathedral and for 150 years has been a major centre of secular and ecclesiastical government. The first castle was built on the site of an Iron Age hillfort shortly after the Norman invasion and grew over the years into an extended medieval stone castle; William the Conqueror himself called "all landholding men" of the realm on August 1st 1086 to Old Sarum to hold the so-called Oath of Sarum by which all landowners swore that from then on, if one of the powerful men of the realm were to rebel against the Crown, their primary loyalty would be to the king rather than to their immediate master. This picture shows the remains of the royal castle, but you need a lot of imagination to get an idea of how the thing really looked…

15.06.2022: the remains of the cathedral of Old Sarum, Wiltshire. Its outline is well visible on the ground and it is easy to imagine how big it was. The cathedral was created after the Council of London decreed in 1075 that the bishop's see from Sherborne should be moved to Old Sarum. However due to conflicts with the garrison in the castle, the clergy decided during the 1220s to abandon the site and build a new cathedral and a new town nearby: the present Salisbury. Although Old Sarum survived as an administrative centre until the 15th century,it quickly lost its importance and inhabitants to Salisbury and the final blow came in 1514 when Henry VII gave away the site and the right to remove all the stones of the castle and tower to a certain Thomas Compton. A tip for visitors: the entry fee of Old Sarum is only for the ruins of the castle, the site of the cathedral is accessible free of charge, also outside opening hours (although you would have to park outside: there are two parking places up the small access road next to the entrance barrier when the parking is closed).

07.07.2022: Muchelney Abbey in Somerset. The abbey was once a wealthy Benedictine house and the second oldest religious foundation in Somerset but as nearly everywhere in the country, its buildings and church were demolished in 1538 during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. One can still see the foundations of the church and cloister but all that remains is this building, the abbot's house and its rewarding interior (and the thatched monks' lavatories).

07.07.2022: Muchelney Abbey in Somerset. The inside of the abbot's house hints at the past luxury and wealth of the abbey. This ornate chimney (spot the lions on top of the wall) is located in the reception hall for important guests on the first floor but there is more to explore inside the house: wonderful timber flooring, high beamed ceilings, mighty chimneys in the kitchen and a surviving part of the cloister walk where some objects found on site are carefully displayed (old tiles, carvings and assorted stonework)

07.07.2022: Okehampton Castle in Devon. Begun soon after the Norman Conquest as a motte and bailey castle with a stone keep, it was converted into a grand residence in the 14th century by Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon. Alas the last Courtenay owner fell foul of Henry VIII in 1539 and this marked the start of the castle decline into a ruin. We liked Okehampton as it is quite easy to get a good impression of the castle layout and former grandeur, specially when looking down on the bailey from the remains of the keep as on this picture.

07.07.2022: Okehampton Castle in Devon. This is what remains of the keep on top of the motte: an impressive sight. It looks like a quite crumbly affair but has withstood all these years so far…

07.07.2022: Launceston Castle in Cornwall. Another one of those motte and bailey castles built shortly after the Norman conquest. But this one, flying proudly the Cornish flag has the added feature of a high keep built in the 13th century inside the earlier shell-keep. It is possible to climb on top of the tower and enjoy the great views over Launceston (the former capital of Cornwall) and the surrounding countryside.

08.07.2022: Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. Honestly, we were greatly disappointed by Tintagel: the sea views are great but since we came hiking on the coastal path from Boscastle, this was nothing special. As for the ruins, it is quite difficult to put them into perspective, there is not a lot left on the ground… But hey, it's all about King Arthur… To us it was a tourist trap par excellence and we were glad to have our membership cards and go "for free": we found the ticket price of £18.90 quite heavy for so little to see.

08.07.2022: Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. For most people Tintagel is a highlight of all legends surrounding King Arthur, as he is supposed to have been born there. This impressive statue on the northern point of the island representing Gallos (meaning 'power' in Cornish) is a life-sized bronze sculpture inspired by the legend of King Arthur and Tintagel's royal past: beautifully done and nice to see.

11.07.2022: Lydford Castle in Devon, on the northern fringe of Dartmoor. The first timber castle in Lydford was established as far back as 1068. Over the years Lydford grew as an administrative centre for the region and King John authorised the building of a new tower in 1194 as a prison for offenders against both the forest and stannary (tin mining) laws. The tower we see today is all that remains of this ghastly prison, known for its harsh treatments. In 1239 Henry III granted Lydford to his brother Richard, Earl of Cornwall and on the death of Earl Richard’s son, Edmund, in 1300 the estate reverted to the Crown passing into the possession of the Duchy of Cornwall in 1337. Directly to the south of the castle is an earlier Norman earthwork castle and to the north some Saxon town defences, but we did not seek them out.

11.07.2022: Totnes Castle in Devon. Similar to many other motte and bailey castles dating from the Norman conquest, this one overlooks the river Dart, the town of Totnes and the surrounding countryside. As all others, it started life as a timber castle before being replaced by a shell-keep made out of stones in the 13th century.

11.07.2022: Totnes Castle in Devon. View of the perfect circular interior of the keep.

11.07.2022: Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon. We have a dedicated photo gallery for this site.

Go back to South West England or go on to Wiltshire

$ updated from: English Heritage Snapshots.htxt Mon 03 Mar 2025 16:11:14 trvl2 — Copyright © 2025 Vero and Thomas Lauer unless otherwise stated | All rights reserved $