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Restormel Castle is a motte and bailey castle of Norman origin, with the motte crowned by a substantial stone shell keep. The site was established in the early 12th century and developed over subsequent medieval centuries as a significant stronghold in Cornwall, commanding the valley of the River Fowey near Lostwithiel. The circular shell keep, built of local slate and granite, represents one of the finest examples of its type in the South West and was constructed during the 13th century to replace or augment earlier timber defences on the mound. The castle served as an important administrative and military centre, and its defensive earthworks remain substantially intact, preserving the characteristic motte and bailey plan with its encircling ditch and bailey ramparts.
Restormel Castle: motte, bailey and shell keep is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1017574. View the official record →
Restormel Castle is a motte and bailey castle of Norman origin, with the motte crowned by a substantial stone shell keep. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1017574.
Restormel Castle: motte, bailey and shell keep 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 1017574.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Small multivallate hillfort called Castle Dore (6.6 km), Cross in grounds of Trenython (7.3 km), Small multivallate hillfort 230m south-east of Great Prideaux (7.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Restormel Castle: motte, bailey and shell keep'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.
Restormel Castle: motte, bailey and shell keep stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.