Compton Castle facts for kids
Compton Castle is a very old and strong house, like a mini-castle, located in a village called Compton in Devon, England. It's about 5 miles west of Torquay on the southern coast. This amazing place has been home to the Gilbert family for most of its history. It's so important that it's listed as a Grade 1 building, which means it's of great historical interest. Since 1951, it has been looked after by the National Trust, a charity that protects historic places.
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A Look Back: The History of Compton Castle
This fortified house was first owned by Sir Maurice de la Pole during the time of King Henry II (1154–1189). Because of his family, the area was even known as Compton Pole for a while.
How the Castle Changed Over Time
The first house built here in the mid-1300s wasn't protected like a castle. It had a main hall with other rooms at each end. These parts were rebuilt later. The strong, castle-like front that you see today was added around 1520 by John Gilbert. The main hall was in ruins by the 1700s, but it was carefully rebuilt in the 1950s to look just like it did before.
Famous People at Compton Castle
The most famous person to live at Compton Castle was Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1539–1583). He was an explorer who helped start a colony in Newfoundland. He was also the half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, another famous explorer. There's a fun story that Sir Walter Raleigh smoked the first pipe of tobacco in Britain while visiting Sir Humphrey at the castle!
The Gilbert family lived at the castle for a very long time. They sold the estate in 1785, and the castle slowly started to fall apart. But then, in 1931, a descendant of the family bought it back! In 1951, he gave it to the National Trust. The special agreement was that members of the Gilbert family could continue to live there and help manage it for the Trust, which they still do today.
Exploring Compton Castle Today
Before the National Trust took over, the great hall of the castle didn't even have a roof and needed a lot of work. All of this was fixed up beautifully.
Inside the Castle Rooms
In the great hall, you can see a model of the Squirrel. This was the ship Sir Humphrey Gilbert sailed to Newfoundland. The Gilbert family's special symbol, called a crest, is a squirrel sitting on a green hill, eating nuts!
Next to the great hall is the solar. This was a private room where people could go to relax away from the busy main hall. You reach it by climbing a staircase built in the 1400s. Another room that has been restored is the kitchen. It was built in a separate building to keep the main house safe from fire. From the kitchen's fireplace, a stone staircase leads up inside a tower, probably to a guard room.
Castle Defenses and Features
Compton Castle had strong defenses to protect it. It had two portcullises, which are heavy grates that could be lowered to block the entrance if the castle was attacked. Defenders could shoot arrows through narrow openings called loopholes that looked over the gateway. The outer walls, called curtain walls, had slits. Through these, stones or even boiling oil could be dropped on anyone trying to climb the walls!
Compton Castle was also used as a filming location for the 1995 movie Sense and Sensibility. Its large kitchen gives us a great look into what daily life was like in medieval times. The castle also has small, formal gardens surrounded by a stone wall.
It's interesting to know that there's another place called Compton Castle in Compton Pauncefoot, Somerset, but it's a different building!
