TIVERTON CASTLE

Devon

An early Castle was possibly raised in Tiverton around 1106.  Nothing remains of that construction and what we see today was begun by the ubiquitous Devon family, the Courtenays around the year 1300.  The layout; gatehouse, quadrangle, corner towers... is very typical of the period.  The 'back' of the Castle stands over the River Exe.

Hugh Courtenay, who built the Castle, became Earl of Devon and made Tiverton his administrative capital.  Thus the Castle became very important.  The Courtenays feel from favour in 1539 and the Castle became the property of the Giffard family who built the Tudor house into the fabric of the Castle.

Tiverton's moment of glory was during the Civil War.  The Roundheads attacked in early 1645, but were repulsed.  General Fairfax, the famed Cromwellian commander who did more to win the Civil War than Cromwell ever did, arrived and put paid to both the Castle's resistance (in October of 1645) and to the Giffard family...thereafter he moved on to nearby Bickleigh Castle and did the same to the Carews there.

Fairfax also demolished the western wall, the one which overlooked the River, and slighted the rest of the Castle.

Today Tiverton Castle is a museum and is open to the public during the summer months.

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2001