la_marquise | Dartmoor

We are finally on Dartmoor, at the Rock Inn, Haytor, indeed. The marquis has tracked down five castles to their lairs and says:
Berkeley, Gloucs 'rather entertaining; strange connectivity, multi-layered squiggle, nice remains of a shell keep.
Thornbury, Gloucs 'Very nice -- scrambly bits and bits you can stay in all in one castle.' (He also liked the wine list and the food --

anef take note).
Taunton -- 'Much played with and being messed about with more even as we speak [type, typist]' Our views on the town: 'T*unton: a bit cr*p, really'
Tiverton 'closed, bah humbug'. Looks to have a good square tower.
Bickleigh 'not really a castle at all'.

THe non-castle experience was the National Arboretum at Westonbirt. I have now seen a 2000 year old lime coppice, which looks like a copse and it all one tree. And many beautiful maples. And birches and beeches and lots and lots of extremely happy dogs.

I have not yet looked at the book. I don't want to confront rewrites at once. Tomorrow, she said, firmly.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ooh - Berkeley castle and Westonbirt Arboretum were 2 standard weekend visits when I was growing up.

I'm feeling all nostalgic now.

Berkeley is worth visiting, IMO.

If you want a completely different kind of castle, try Watermouth :-)

Dunster? It's NT, so a bit pricey, but again worth seeing. Nice little touristy town.

I love Haytor - I have several photos of me (and family) up there. My parents moved down to Devon when they retired, so I've spent a fair bit of time in the area.

I remember vividly reading the opening chapters of The System Of The World (Baroque Cycle book 3) which is set on Dartmoor. I was visiting at the time and the following day we went out in search of the location of the Stannary Parliament.

Sounds good! Can you or the marquis rec any castles in easy distance of Exeter for monkey exploration around half term? Small monkeys like to be able to visualise detailed carnage in situ. Large monkeys more into surrounding countryside. Musique_monkey grew up in Tiverton but never mentioned a castle. Is it always closed?

Then again, maybe I can just make everyone do Avebury on the way (again)...

Another Tivertonian? Good grief. I thought I was the only one. Well, no, not really.

The sign said the castle was open on Sundays and Thursdays. Theres the remains of some curtain wall and a couple of towers behind the house.

There's a clump of castles around 30 miles SW of Exeter -
Berry Pomeroy (EH) is a ruin, late fortified front but interior entirely and repeatedly remodeled as a house.
Compton (NT) is a nice fortified manor, the interior is all modern, but it's got some nice machicolations

Totnes is a classic shell keep (but shuts at 3.30 not 4 as it says on their publicity mutter, mutter).

Dartmouth (EH) is about 15 miles further on, it's a nice henrician coastal fort with attached 19th century battery

While Okehampton (EH) (25 miles west of exeter)looks quite good it is shut from october to may.

Thanks! That looks really useful. Adding to memories for future Exeter trips.

Castling sounds very fine...

Westonbirt was my dad's favourite place on the planet. We would have scattered him there, if circumstances hadn't decreed otherwise. I'm glad it still reaches & touches people that I care about.

It's extraordinarily beautiful and the best thing about today -- we have already made resolutions to go back there some time.

Tiverton does have a very fine organ in St Peter's Church, if that's of any interest (and assuming it's still standing).

And you could see if they've put up a blue plaque for me yet. :)

Eeh...I like Westonburt! How lovely to be on Dartmoor (sigh). And totally agree about Taunton.

Dartmoor

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Tiverton castle

Re: Tiverton castle

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject