Restormel Castle
Encyclopedia
Restormel Castle is situated on the River Fowey
near Lostwithiel
, Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. It is one of the four chief Norman
castles of Cornwall, the others being Launceston
, Tintagel
and Trematon
. The castle is notable for its perfectly circular design. Although once a luxurious residence to the Earl of Cornwall
, the castle became ruined in the years after the English Civil War
and is now in the care of English Heritage
and is open to the public.
, Restormel Castle is an unusual, perfectly circular shell keep
with an internal bailey
, built of shale
. It contains a limited number of stone domestic buildings, clustered around the inside of the wall to form a defensive bailey; the buildings are curved to fit into the shell keep, in an extreme example of the 13th century trend. These included a kitchen, hall, solar
, guest chambers and an ante-chapel. Water from a natural spring was piped under pressure into the castle buildings. A square gate tower, largely ruined, guards the entrance to the inner castle, and may have been the first part of the original castle to have been partially constructed in stone. On the opposite side, a square mural tower contains the castle chapel. A former external bailey wall has since been destroyed, leaving no trace. There are also historical references to a dungeon
, also now vanished.
The castle appears to stand upon a motte; this is partially correct, as the massive walls were, unusually for the period, sunk deep into the original motte; the effect is heightened by a surrounding ringwork
, subsequently filled in on the inner side so as to appear to heap against the castle wall. This may have occurred in the castle's later history to provide a garden walk around the ruin.
as a motte and bailey castle around 1100 by Baldwin Fitz Turstin, the local sheriff. Constructed in the middle of a large deer park
, the castle overlooked the primary crossing point over the River Fowey, a key tactical location; it may have been originally intended for use as a hunting lodge as well as a fortification, however.
Robert de Cardinham, lord of the manor 1192–1225, then built up the inner curtain walls and converted the gatehouse
completely to stone, giving the castle its current design. The village of Lostwithiel
was established close to the castle at around the same time. The castle belonged to the Cardinhams for several years, who used it in preference to their older castle at Old Cardinham. Andrew de Cardinham's daughter, Isolda de Cardinham, finally married Thomas de Tracey, who then owned the castle until 1264.
The castle was seized in 1264 without fighting by Simon de Montfort
during the civil conflicts in the reign of Henry III
, and was seized back in turn by the former High Sheriff of Cornwall
, Sir Ralph Arundell, in 1265. After some persuasion, Isolda de Cardinham granted the castle to Henry III
's brother, Richard of Cornwall
in 1270. Richard died in 1271, and his son Edmund
took over Restormel as his main administrative base, building the inner chambers to the castle during his residence there and titling it his "duchy palace". The castle in this period resembled a "miniature palace", with luxurious quarters and piped water. It was home to stannary administration
and oversaw the local, profitable tin-mines in the village.
After Edmund's death in 1299 the castle reverted to the Crown, and from 1337 onwards the castle one of the 17 antiqua maneria
of the Duchy of Cornwall
. It was rarely used as a residence, although Edward the Black Prince
stayed at the castle in 1354 and 1365. The prince used these occasions to gather his feudal subjects at the castle in order for them to pay him homage
. After the loss of Gascony
, one of the key possessions of the Duchy, the contents of the castle were stripped out and removed to other residences. With an absent lord, the stewardship of the castle became much sought after as a result, and the castle and its estate became known for its efficient administration. Henry VIII removed the park status from the surrounding land, which reverted to the status of normal countryside.
Restormel has seen action only once during its long history, when Charles I's
forces drove out the Parliamentarian garrison during the Civil War
. The castle was taken by Sir Richard Grenville
, a local member of the gentry who had been the member of Parliament for Fowey before the war. Grenville stormed the castle on 21 August 1644, whilst manoeuvring to encircle Parliamentary forces.
It is not known whether the castle was deliberately slighted
by the victors but it was certainly in ruins by 1740. It became a popular attraction for visitors, and in 1846 the British royal family visited the castle; arriving on their yacht the Victoria and Albert
up the River Fowey, the royal party toured the ruins.
, then the Duke of Cornwall
, entrusted the ruin to the state. The castle is a Scheduled Monument. It is now maintained by English Heritage
as a popular tourist attraction
and picnic site
.
In 1999 members of the Cornish Stannary Parliament
removed signs from this site and other Cornish
sites under the care of the English Heritage
organisation, based upon the claim that the sites should properly be marked as Cornish heritage and not English. Three men later paid criminal fines in connection with these actions.
In 2007 British Archaeology
magazine reported the discovery of a Roman fort near Restormel Castle. A geophysical magnetometer survey was conducted by members of the Saltash
Heritage.
River Fowey
The River Fowey is a river in Cornwall, United Kingdom.It rises about north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. It is only navigable by larger craft for the last ....
near Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is one of the four chief Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
castles of Cornwall, the others being Launceston
Launceston Castle
Launceston Castle is located in the town of Launceston, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. .-Early history:The castle is a Norman motte and bailey earthwork castle raised by Robert, Count of Mortain, half-brother of William the Conqueror shortly after the Norman conquest, possibly as early as 1067...
, Tintagel
Tintagel Castle
Tintagel Castle is a medieval fortification located on the peninsula of Tintagel Island, adjacent to the village of Tintagel in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The site was possibly occupied in the Romano-British period, due to an array of artefacts dating to this period which have been found on the...
and Trematon
Trematon Castle
Trematon Castle is situated near Saltash in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is similar in style to the later Restormel Castle, with a 12th century keep. Trematon Castle overlooks Plymouth Sound and was built probably by Robert, Count of Mortain on the ruins of an earlier Roman fort: it is a...
. The castle is notable for its perfectly circular design. Although once a luxurious residence to the Earl of Cornwall
Earl of Cornwall
The title of Earl of Cornwall was created several times in the Peerage of England before 1337, when it was superseded by the title Duke of Cornwall, which became attached to heirs-apparent to the throne.-Earl of Cornwall:...
, the castle became ruined in the years after the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and is now in the care of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
and is open to the public.
Architecture
Located on high land overlooking the River FoweyRiver Fowey
The River Fowey is a river in Cornwall, United Kingdom.It rises about north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. It is only navigable by larger craft for the last ....
, Restormel Castle is an unusual, perfectly circular shell keep
Shell keep
A shell keep is a style of medieval fortification, best described as a stone structure circling the top of a motte.In English castle morphology, shell keeps are perceived as the successors to motte-and-bailey castles, with the wooden fence around the top of the motte replaced by a stone wall...
with an internal bailey
Ward (fortification)
In fortifications, a bailey or ward refers to a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. In particular, an early type of European castle was known as a Motte-and-bailey. Castles can have more than one ward. Their layout depends both on the local topography and the level of fortification technology...
, built of shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
. It contains a limited number of stone domestic buildings, clustered around the inside of the wall to form a defensive bailey; the buildings are curved to fit into the shell keep, in an extreme example of the 13th century trend. These included a kitchen, hall, solar
Solar (room)
The solar was a room in many English and French medieval manor houses, great houses and castles, generally situated on an upper storey, designed as the family's private living and sleeping quarters...
, guest chambers and an ante-chapel. Water from a natural spring was piped under pressure into the castle buildings. A square gate tower, largely ruined, guards the entrance to the inner castle, and may have been the first part of the original castle to have been partially constructed in stone. On the opposite side, a square mural tower contains the castle chapel. A former external bailey wall has since been destroyed, leaving no trace. There are also historical references to a dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
, also now vanished.
The castle appears to stand upon a motte; this is partially correct, as the massive walls were, unusually for the period, sunk deep into the original motte; the effect is heightened by a surrounding ringwork
Ringwork
A ringwork is a form of fortified defensive structure, usually circular or oval in shape. Ringworks are essentially motte-and-bailey castles minus the motte...
, subsequently filled in on the inner side so as to appear to heap against the castle wall. This may have occurred in the castle's later history to provide a garden walk around the ruin.
History
Restormel Castle was probably originally built after the Norman conquest of EnglandNorman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
as a motte and bailey castle around 1100 by Baldwin Fitz Turstin, the local sheriff. Constructed in the middle of a large deer park
Medieval deer park
A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...
, the castle overlooked the primary crossing point over the River Fowey, a key tactical location; it may have been originally intended for use as a hunting lodge as well as a fortification, however.
Robert de Cardinham, lord of the manor 1192–1225, then built up the inner curtain walls and converted the gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
completely to stone, giving the castle its current design. The village of Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
was established close to the castle at around the same time. The castle belonged to the Cardinhams for several years, who used it in preference to their older castle at Old Cardinham. Andrew de Cardinham's daughter, Isolda de Cardinham, finally married Thomas de Tracey, who then owned the castle until 1264.
The castle was seized in 1264 without fighting by Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
during the civil conflicts in the reign of Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
, and was seized back in turn by the former High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list:Note: The right to choose High Sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall, rather than the Privy Council, chaired by the Sovereign, which chooses the Sheriffs of all other English counties, other than those in the Duchy of...
, Sir Ralph Arundell, in 1265. After some persuasion, Isolda de Cardinham granted the castle to Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
's brother, Richard of Cornwall
Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall
Richard of Cornwall was Count of Poitou , 1st Earl of Cornwall and German King...
in 1270. Richard died in 1271, and his son Edmund
Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall
Edmund of Cornwall of Almain was the 2nd Earl of Cornwall of the 7th creation.-Early life:Edmund was born at Berkhamsted Castle on 26 December 1249, the second and only surviving son of Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall and his wife Sanchia of Provence, daughter of Ramon Berenguer, Count of Provence,...
took over Restormel as his main administrative base, building the inner chambers to the castle during his residence there and titling it his "duchy palace". The castle in this period resembled a "miniature palace", with luxurious quarters and piped water. It was home to stannary administration
Stannary Courts and Parliaments
The Stannary Parliaments and Stannary Courts were legislative and legal institutions in Cornwall and in Devon , England. The Stannary Courts administered equity for the region's tin-miners and tin mining interests, and they were also courts of record for the towns dependent on the mines...
and oversaw the local, profitable tin-mines in the village.
After Edmund's death in 1299 the castle reverted to the Crown, and from 1337 onwards the castle one of the 17 antiqua maneria
Antiqua maneria
The Antiqua maneria were the original 17 manors belonging to the Earldom of Cornwall.After March 1337 these manors passed to the new Duchy of Cornwall which was created by King Edward III to give financial support to his son Edward, the Black Prince .The table below shows the 17 Antiqua maneria...
of the Duchy of Cornwall
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
. It was rarely used as a residence, although Edward the Black Prince
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
stayed at the castle in 1354 and 1365. The prince used these occasions to gather his feudal subjects at the castle in order for them to pay him homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
. After the loss of Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
, one of the key possessions of the Duchy, the contents of the castle were stripped out and removed to other residences. With an absent lord, the stewardship of the castle became much sought after as a result, and the castle and its estate became known for its efficient administration. Henry VIII removed the park status from the surrounding land, which reverted to the status of normal countryside.
Restormel has seen action only once during its long history, when Charles I's
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
forces drove out the Parliamentarian garrison during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. The castle was taken by Sir Richard Grenville
Sir Richard Grenville, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Grenville, 1st Baronet was a Cornish Royalist leader during the English Civil War.He was the third son of Sir Bernard Grenville , and a grandson of the famous seaman, Sir Richard Grenville...
, a local member of the gentry who had been the member of Parliament for Fowey before the war. Grenville stormed the castle on 21 August 1644, whilst manoeuvring to encircle Parliamentary forces.
It is not known whether the castle was deliberately slighted
Slighting
A slighting is the deliberate destruction, partial or complete, of a fortification without opposition. During the English Civil War this was to render it unusable as a fort.-Middle Ages:...
by the victors but it was certainly in ruins by 1740. It became a popular attraction for visitors, and in 1846 the British royal family visited the castle; arriving on their yacht the Victoria and Albert
HMY Victoria and Albert
HMY Victoria and Albert was a twin paddle steamer launched 25 April 1843. It functioned as a Royal Yacht of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, owned and operated by the Royal Navy. She laid down in 1842 at Pembroke Dock and was designed by Symonds...
up the River Fowey, the royal party toured the ruins.
Today
In 1925 the later King Edward VIIIEdward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, then the Duke of Cornwall
Duke of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...
, entrusted the ruin to the state. The castle is a Scheduled Monument. It is now maintained by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a popular tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
and picnic site
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
.
In 1999 members of the Cornish Stannary Parliament
Revived Cornish Stannary Parliament
The Revived Cornish Stannary Parliament , is a pressure group which claims to be a revival of the historic Cornish Stannary Parliament last held in 1753...
removed signs from this site and other Cornish
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
sites under the care of the English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
organisation, based upon the claim that the sites should properly be marked as Cornish heritage and not English. Three men later paid criminal fines in connection with these actions.
In 2007 British Archaeology
Council for British Archaeology
Established in 1944, the is an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations...
magazine reported the discovery of a Roman fort near Restormel Castle. A geophysical magnetometer survey was conducted by members of the Saltash
Saltash
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by...
Heritage.