Okehampton Castle

Okehampton Castle is a ruined motte and bailey castle situated in Devon, England.

The castle has Norman origins and dates from the late 11th century. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book (completed in 1086) which states that at that time it was in the possession of Baldwin de Brionne, the Sheriff of Devon.

Much of the surviving masonry, including the bulk of the Keep and the curtain walls, is of fourteenth century construction. The castle was built as a 'chivalric' type castle. I.e. it was built by a rich lord to impress his friends and the local populace with his knightly castle. As it never actually saw any action, or was ever defendedIt position indicates that it was probably use for a hunting lodge and a status symbol rather than a military base.

On the execution in 1539 of its then owner Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, the castle was partially dismantled. As a 'romantic ruin' it has been much painted and engraved over the centuries, including two paintings by J. M. W. Turner and one by Samuel "Lamorna" Birch.

The ivy-clad ruins include a small quadrangular keep (probably Norman), portions of the great hall with its huge chimney and of the chapel, there is an inscription "Hic V . . . fuit captivus belli, 1809", translates as, 'here Vincent was a prisoner of war' it is thought to be graffiti by French prisoners held here during the Napoleonic wars (Endacott p.19)

It is now in the care of English Heritage.