Barnstaple Castle, Medieval motte-and-bailey castle in Barnstaple, England
Barnstaple Castle is a motte-and-bailey fortification made of stone in northwestern England, with a central earthen mound rising about 14 meters tall and roughly 60 meters across at its base. Below this mound lie archaeological deposits and the remnants of earlier burial grounds, revealing the site's long use before the medieval castle was built.
The castle was built around 1100 following the Norman Conquest and initially served as a defensive stronghold for the developing settlement. It fell into disrepair during the 1200s, with royal orders issued to limit its walls' strength, accelerating its decline into ruins.
The mound today stands as a local landmark within Barnstaple's townscape, marking a layer of medieval settlement in what is now a residential and commercial area. Visitors walking through notice how the vegetation-covered earthwork rises distinctly above the surrounding streets, reminding people of the town's Norman origins.
The site is accessible as a scheduled monument within a wooded area in northwestern Barnstaple's town center. The mound itself is walkable, though vegetation covers much of the original stone structures and reaching the top may require careful footing on sloped ground.
Beneath the mound lie over 100 medieval Christian burials discovered during excavations in 1975, revealing that the ground once served as a cemetery. This finding shows how the site was repurposed over time for different functions.
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