Trematon Castle
Trematon Castle is a ruined castle near Saltash in the English county of Cornwall . The castle was the center of the Trematon barony. Its architectural style is similar to that of the Restormel Castle, which was built later, and has a keep from the 12th century. Trematon Castle overlooks Plymouth Sound and was believed to have been built for Robert, Earl of Mortain on the ruins of an earlier Roman fort. It is a moth that was erected soon after the Norman conquest of England . It is in a guard position about 2.5 kilometers southeast of the village of Trematon .
description
Like Restormel Castle, Trematon Castle has a stone shell keep that was built on top of Motte's Castle Hill. Although they are ruined, most of the Norman walls are still standing, so you can see the original shape of the castle and its keep. The Keep has an oval floor plan and walls 3 meters thick and 9 meters high. The inside diameter is about 21 meters. A rectangular gatehouse built in 1270 has two floors and a portcullis . Both buildings are in good condition.
The military historian Sir Charles Oman said of the location of the castle: "Trematon is high up, on one of the peaks of the rather chaotic group of hills that lie behind Saltash and its bold, modern bridge."
In the courtyard there is a Georgian-style house that was built around 1808. It has four reception rooms and six bedrooms as well as quarters for the servants. Part of the original castle wall was torn down so that one can see the surrounding landscape from this house.
history
Robert, Count of Mortain, had the castle built here soon after the Norman conquest of England.
From the conquest to 1270, the rights to the ferry service from the Saltash Passage on the Plymouth side of the Tamar to Saltash belonged to the Vautort family . When Roger de Vautort sold Trematon Castle and the associated manor to Richard of Cornwall , the lease was paid to the Bailiff des Earls. In the 13th century it was nearly £ 7 .
The castle has remained in the hands of the Earls and Dukes of Cornwall without interruption since 1270 when Earl Richard bought it for £ 300.
When Sir Francis Drake returned from his circumnavigation in 1580 , he landed in Plymouth Harbor and anchored off St Nicholas Island until Queen Elizabeth I ordered the treasures to be stored at Trematon Castle. The loot consisted of gold, silver and precious stones, mostly emeralds , that Drake had captured from Spanish ships along the west coast of South America . Before the treasure was finally brought to the Tower of London , it was temporarily housed in the Golden Hinde .
In 1961 the Duchy of Cornwall put the castle out on lease for 21 years at £ 250 a year. It then became the home in Cornwall of Hugh Foot , Lord Caradon, and his son, Paul Foot , an investigative journalist , spent part of his youth there.
Queen Elizabeth II visited the castle ruins on July 25, 1962, accompanied by Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall , Sir Edward Bolitho , before heading to Fowey to board the royal yacht Britannia .
The castle ruins are currently open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Tenant Sought for Trematon Castle in The Times . March 1, 1961. Issue 55018. p. 7th column F.
- ^ A b Charles William Chadwick Oman: Castles . 1926, p. 107.
- ^ AL Rowse: History on the Hoe in The Times . November 11, 1939. p. 7. Column G.
- ↑ Paul Foot . Obituary in the Daily Telegraph . July 20, 2004. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ Court Circular: HM Yacht Britannia in The Times . July 26, 1962. Issue 55453. p. 14, column B.
swell
- Muriel Hammond: Castles of Britain . Volume I: England . Ian Allan, London 1963.
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 24 ′ 1.6 ″ N , 4 ° 14 ′ 15.9 ″ W.