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Barnstaple Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortification situated in the town of Barnstaple in north Devon, England. The castle was established in the late eleventh century following the Norman Conquest and served as a significant administrative and defensive centre for the region. The site retains its characteristic earthwork features, comprising a raised mound with surrounding ditches, though little of the original stonework survives above ground. The castle declined in importance from the medieval period onwards and is now preserved as an archaeological monument, with its earthwork remains providing evidence of Norman settlement patterns and military organisation in Devon.
Barnstaple Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1020922. View the official record →
Barnstaple Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortification situated in the town of Barnstaple in north Devon, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1020922.
Barnstaple Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1020922.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Burridge Hill fort (2.6 km), Tawstock holy well (3.5 km), Bowl barrow at Codden Beacon (4.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Barnstaple Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Barnstaple Castle stands on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.