Berry Pomeroy Castle
| Berry Pomeroy Castle | ||
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 Gatehouse, Palas and St. Margaret's Tower (far right) |
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| Creation time : | around 1100 to 1200 | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Place: | Berry Pomeroy | |
| Geographical location | 50 ° 26 '56.5 " N , 3 ° 38' 11.8" W | |
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Berry Pomeroy Castle is a ruined castle near the village of Berry Pomeroy near Totnes in Devon in Great Britain .
location
It is located on a hill above the Gatcombe Brook.
history
Pomeroy family
The first castle was built in the early 12th century. The land was owned by the Pomeroy family as early as Norman times. Berry Pomeroy Castle is first mentioned in 1496 when Elisabeth, widow of Richard Pomeroy, transferred a third of the castle and property. The oldest parts still preserved today are from the 15th century : gatehouse, St. Margaret's Tower and parts of the castle wall.
Seymour family
In 1547 Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset bought the castle from Thomas Pomeroy. Around this time he bought many other properties in the area and Edward Seymour was probably never in Berry Pomeroy. In 1552 he fell from grace at court and was executed for high treason. His lands fell to the Crown.
Only in 1558 did his son Sir Thomas Seymour get the castle and lands back after lengthy negotiations. He left the main house torn down and built 1560-80 a new four-story palace inside the old enclosure, which was expanded in 1600 by his son Edward to a north wing. In 1611 - two years before his death - he was awarded the title of baronet .
During the English Civil War his son, also Edward, the 2nd Baronet, fought on the side of the royalists, was captured and imprisoned in London. Berry Pomeroy Castle was raided and devastated, the land confiscated from Oliver Cromwell. After his release he was allowed to continue living in the castle, where he died in 1659.
Edward, 3rd baronet, also fought on the king's side in the 2nd Civil War. In the course of the Stuart restoration , he got the castle back. He was soon Deputy Lieutenant of Devon , Vice Admiral and finally Member of Parliament for Totnes. His son Edward, 4th Baronet , was also a committed politician and for many years a member of parliament for Exeter and from 1673 speaker in the House of Commons . Probably due to the great distance from London and the poor condition of the castle, he moved to Bradley House in Maiden Bradley , Wiltshire. Presumably he sold usable material from the castle to help finance the expansion of Bradley House . It is certain that Berry Pomeroy Castle was in ruins as early as 1701.
Todays use
The ruin is now a Grade I listed structure on the British List of Historic Monuments. It still belongs to the Duke of Somerset but is administered by English Heritage . It can be visited from April to October for a small fee.
There are a number of legends surrounding the castle and it is said that it is haunted.
