Lydford Castle

The small town of Lydford, located on the north-western edge of the ancient Dartmoor National Park in Devon, is home to an array of interesting historical sites that are incredibly interesting to visit.

 

It was a cold, misty February morning in 2017 when my friend and I decided to visit Lydford castle. We had travelled down from London a few days earlier to enjoy the scenery and see more of the country. Being from the capital, it wasn’t very often that we were able to get out into the countryside, so we were exceptionally excited about it. As we approached our hotel in Okehampton, we passed through a wooded area. A fog had descended throughout the forest and the scene that lay before us was very reminiscent of Silent Hill. However, the area was calm, quiet, incredibly pleasant and, unsurprisingly, zombie-free.

 

1. Lydford Castle's exterior

On the morning that we visited Lydford castle, it was a cold, rainy and surprisingly dark day. The thick clouds that filled the sky dimmed the day, giving it a sort of evening feel. Unsurprisingly, the roads were completely deserted, and we were fortunate enough to be able to explore the amazing sites that Lydford has to offer almost entirely by ourselves! We parked our car, got out and we were immediately struck by the bitter wind and cold drizzle. It was almost cliché to say, but you could almost feel the history of the area in the air, especially when we approached the 12^th century castle that was embedded in an ancient mound of earth.

 

Lydford castle is located in Lydford, next to a well-kept church and a 16th-century pub called the Castle Inn. When we arrived, the castle stood silently on its hill, contrasting heavily against the silent, grey sky. We climbed slowly up the hill, admiring the beauty of the stonework of the castle and discussing what it would have been like to have been in there all those centuries ago. We approached the entrance to the castle and were amazed by the imposing height of the outer walls. English Heritage signs were dotted around the outer walls of the castle, providing a brief overview of the history of the castle. The wind was whistling, the rain had become a bit heavier and was pelting against us as we stood, silently, reading.

2. The moss-strewn walls, exposed to the weather and full of history.

History

Lydford Castle was built in 1195 and expanded in 1238 by Richard, Earl of Cornwall. Marc Morris states in his book, “Castle: A History of the Buildings that Shaped Medieval Britain”, that a castle served two purposes, firstly it was a stately home for its aristocratic residents and that it served as a sort of fortress, impenetrable to invaders and reminding those who lived within eyesight of the castle who was in charge. ‘It was to the castle that people would come to pay their taxes, or to stand trial in their lord’s court.’ However, Lydford castle was never a true castle as its purpose was that of a prison and courthouse only, not as a residence.

 

Unfortunately, it was a residence for those unfortunate enough to be convicted of crimes and sentenced to dwell within its damp, dark and imposing jail cells. On an English Heritage sign right next to the entrance, it states that an MP, Richard Strode, was imprisoned there in 1510 and described it as ‘one of the most annoious, contagious and detestable places wythen this realme.’ He was imprisoned there for three weeks due to refusing to pay a £160 fine (according to the National Archives website, this roughly translates to just over £100 000 in today’s money!). An interesting tidbit arose from his horrible incarceration in Lydford castle, which is that The Privilege of Parliament Act was passed into law in 1512 and is otherwise known as ‘Strode’s Act’. This parliamentary act was invoked in 2011 when MP John Hemming named Ryan Giggs, who had taken out a court injunction to stop details of an affair from being publicised, during a parliamentary debate. As a result of this 1512 act, Hemming wasn’t prosecuted.

 

The courthouse, settled within the retroactively fitted, man-made embankment, otherwise known as a motte and bailey, struck fear into those who were convicted and imprisoned there. It was used as a prison and courtroom all the way until the early 19^th century, after which the courthouse and prison were moved to Princetown.

 

According to the English Heritage website, the concept of ‘Lydford law’ was synonymous with backward justice and judicial cruelty, with sentences of hanging being given and carried out under the assumption that the parallel court, who were legally entitled to hand out such sentences, would be in agreement when they eventually met. Prisoners, who had been sentenced and were incarcerated within the foreboding walls, were subject to mild forms of torture, including leg clamps, dark, cold and damp living conditions, and minimal daily sustenance, which consisted of a bit of bread and water.

 

Inside the Castle

Having finished reading about the history of the castle, we entered into the castle and immediately noticed that the roof had long gone, meaning that the interior had moss growing on its ancient walls, covering up the terrifying history of the place. A metal walkway stretched from the entrance to the opposite wall and had a spiralling staircase that led to the lower level. 

3. The metal walkway with spiral staircase.

We carefully climbed down the steps and could see marks in the wall where different floors used to be. We explored the different areas, slightly unnerved by the silence that seemed to penetrate every corner of the castle. Even the drizzle fell silently upon us as we explored. Along the walkway we could see down into some areas that were blocked off but had been used as prison cells. The moss-strewn walls were decaying in certain areas but seemed to preserve some aspect of the colourful history of the building, notably where walls had once been. Along the upper levels of the castle, starting next to the entrance of the castle, were blocked off walkways through the walls, littered with handrails and small holes that were just large enough to see into. The darkness seemed impenetrable and we were excited by what mysteries may lie deep within these walls.

4. One of a few spots where you could see into a dark hole and wonder what secrets lie within.

After exploring for about an hour and a half, we decided to leave as we had seen everything that we felt could be seen. As we left the castle and made our way down the hill, we spotted a Viking rune and were surprised to discover that there were the remains of a Viking settlement between the castle and the old church! The entire area had been covered by grass and so there wasn’t much to see, but it was still interesting enough to take a few pictures.

5. The Viking Rune near to Lydford Castle.

We decided to pop into the Castle Inn, situated next to the castle and across the road from where we had parked our car, for a quick non-alcoholic drink before heading back to the hotel. The sky had darkened and seemed almost purple. The rain outside was heavier and even more uninviting. The ancient pub, which had been built in the 16^th century, was exquisitely furnished and very cosy. The contrast between the somewhat imposing weather outside and the warm, quiet and friendly atmosphere in the pub helped us to relax a lot! The pub had old wooden seats, seemingly older bar stools and a soothing fire in the fireplace, bathing the room in warmth and giving it a very homely feel. We finished our drinks, said goodbye to the friendly pub landlord, who had served us drinks and told us about the area and its history, and braced ourselves to head back outside.

6. The interior of the Castle Inn.

Our journey back to the hotel was rather quiet, as we both had learnt a lot of interesting history and had explored a fascinating building. This building had seen so much history throughout the centuries. For that reason, Lydford, with its castle with silent interiors, imposing surrounding embankment and cosy surroundings, including the 16^th century pub, Viking ruins and old church, will forever be one of my favourite places to visit.

By Kyle Powell