Roman BritainBerry Pomeroy Castle: a defended residence and Tudor mansion
Roman Mansio / Station · Civilian

Berry Pomeroy Castle: a defended residence and Tudor mansion

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-16011
Site type
Mansio / Station
Category
Civilian
Latitude
50.4492
Longitude
-3.6365
Overview

History & context

Berry Pomeroy Castle is primarily a late medieval and Tudor site in south Devon, comprising a 15th-century courtyard castle of the Pomeroy family overlaid by an ambitious unfinished Elizabethan mansion built by the Seymours. There is no substantiated evidence for a Roman mansio or station at this location; the Pleiades classification appears speculative or erroneous.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

In the Roman period, this part of south Devon lay west of the main road network focused on Isca Dumnoniorum (Exeter), in a region that was lightly Romanised with few known formal stations. Any role Berry Pomeroy may have played in the Roman landscape is undemonstrated.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Excavations at Berry Pomeroy, including those associated with English Heritage's guardianship, have concentrated on the medieval and post-medieval phases and have not, to my knowledge, recovered Roman structural remains or significant Roman material culture from the site. I am not aware of published evidence supporting identification of this location as a Roman mansio.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Berry Pomeroy Castle: a defended residence and Tudor mansion?

Berry Pomeroy Castle is primarily a late medieval and Tudor site in south Devon, comprising a 15th-century courtyard castle of the Pomeroy family overlaid by an ambitious unfinished Elizabethan mansion built by the Seymours. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a mansio / station site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Berry Pomeroy Castle: a defended residence and Tudor mansion?

Berry Pomeroy Castle: a defended residence and Tudor mansion is classified as a Roman mansio / station — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Berry Pomeroy Castle: a defended residence and Tudor mansion?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Roman settlement site at Bantham Ham (25.5 km), Roman signal station 450m north of Marshall Farm (27 km), Roman's Cross 50m west of the church (28.4 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Berry Pomeroy Castle: a defended residence and Tudor mansion?

Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.

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