Scheduled Monuments›England›Plymouth Castle (remains of)

Plymouth Castle (remains of)

England
List entry 1003833
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1003833
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0 hectares
Grid reference
SX 48289 53959
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Plymouth Castle is a ruined fortification located in Plymouth, Devon, whose origins trace to the medieval period. The castle occupies a strategically significant position commanding the harbour and has undergone various phases of construction and modification spanning several centuries. The surviving remains consist of fragmentary stone structures and earthworks that reflect its evolution from a medieval stronghold. The site represents an important element of Plymouth's defensive architecture and maritime history, though much of the original structure has been lost to urban development and the passage of time.

Plymouth Castle (remains of) is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1003833. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Plymouth Castle (remains of)?

Plymouth Castle is a ruined fortification located in Plymouth, Devon, whose origins trace to the medieval period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1003833.

Who is responsible for protecting Plymouth Castle (remains of)?

Plymouth Castle (remains of) 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 1003833.

What other scheduled monuments are near Plymouth Castle (remains of)?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Staddon Heights Defences including Fort Staddon Fort, Brownhill Battery, Watch House Battery, Staddon Heights Battery, Staddon Battery and associated features and structures (3.1 km), Fort Bovisand (3.3 km), Breakwater fort (3.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Plymouth Castle (remains of)

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Plymouth Castle (remains of)'s history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Staddon Heights Defences including Fort Staddon Fort, Brownhill Battery, Watch House Battery, Staddon Heights Battery, Staddon Battery and associated features and structures
3.1 km
Fort Bovisand
3.3 km
Breakwater fort
3.6 km
Battery with Royal Commission fortifications called Redoubt No.5 at Maker Heights
4.9 km
Battery and Royal Commission fortification called Grenville Battery
5.3 km
Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery at Maker Heights
5.3 km
Two batteries and part of a third at Maker Heights called Redoubt No1, Redoubt No2 and Redoubt No3
5.4 km
World War II Heavy Anti-aircraft gunsite, 100m west of Princes Cottages
5.4 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Plymouth Castle (remains of)

Plymouth Castle (remains of) stands on Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is limestone, mudstone and calcareous mudstone.

Domesday entry for Sutton, Devon →
All Scheduled Monuments