Gidleigh Castle

Description

This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.

SX 68 NE GIDLEIGH GIDLEIGH

3/199 Gidleigh Castle - 22.2.67 GV I

Keep tower, the only standing remains of a castle built circa 1300 by the Prouze family. Granite stone rubble laid to rough courses with open putlog holes and large roughly-shaped quoins, ashlar detail of hard sandy magnesium limestone.

Plan: square in plan there is an undercroft and first floor hall. It is built on a slope facing downhill to the east-south-east, say east. Entrance on left (south) side and stairs in the thickness of the wall round the south-west corner. Second stair, a stone newel, projecting forward from left end of font. Disused fireplace serving the hall in centre of front wall. The hall is no longer roofed and the newel stair turret has partly collapsed.

Exterior: 2-window front to right of the stair turret; narrow slit windows with deep internal splays and with relieving arches over, the right first floor one has some of its ashlar window frame still in situ. A buttress projects square in the centre of the wall. Left side has a segmental pointed (almost triangular-headed) arch doorway, and the right side has a plain doorway at first floor level towards the back.

Interior: the undercroft has a vaulted roof supported on square ribs. The doorways from both stairs to the hall have chamfered surrounds with bar-broach stops. The fireplace has been much rebuilt. The floor shows the bases of columns which presumably supported a corbelled hood.

The construction and detail of this building are remarkably similar to the contemporary phase of Okehampton Castle.

Scheduled Ancient Monument 135 Source: Devon SMR.



Listing NGR: SX6704988406

Content

This is part of the Series: IOE01/1729 IOE Records taken by A J L B Rodwell; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England

Rights

© Mr A J L B Rodwell. Source: Historic England Archive

This photograph was taken for the Images of England project