MARISCO CASTLE

Isle of Lundy, Devon

The Isle of Lundy sits in the Bristol Channel, and is a wild and remote place. It can be reached by boat from Bideford (and Ilfracombe in the summer) but the journey is not for the faint-hearted. Lundy has no landing stage...to get from the MV Oldenburg to the Island you have to transfer by dinghy!

The Island is dramatic and steep-sided and is a wonderful place to visit.  There was a Castle here from some time very early on, although only its site remains.  This original Castle was built by the Marisco family who were notorious pirates.

William de Marisco was implicated in a plot to kill Henry III, and a force was despatched to take the island.  This happened in 1242 and William was removed to London and hanged.  To avoid a repetition of events Henry had a small Castle built at the southern end of the Island, and this is what remains today.  It was an antiquated design for its time, being a basic square keep - but in this remote spot it was quite enough.

During the Civil War it was garrisoned by a Royalist band, but no siege ever occurred.

The Island of Lundy is owned by the National Trust and a good many of the properties there, including the Castle, are leased to The Landmark Trust who rent them as holiday homes.

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2009