Rougemont Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rougemont Castle |
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| Exeter, Devon | |
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The early Norman gatehouse of Rougemont Castle, showing the red stone that gave it its name, with the later court buildings behind
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 Rougemont Castle
Shown within Devon
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| Coordinates | 50°43′32″N 3°31′48″W / 50.72567°N 3.53006°W |
| Type | Norman |
| Site history | |
| Built | 11th century |
| Built by | William the Conqueror |
| Materials | Stone |
| Official name: Rougemont Castle, Exeter | |
| Designated: | 10 August 1923 |
| Reference #: | 1003866 |
Rougemont Castle, also known as Exeter Castle, is a historic castle in the city of Exeter, Devon, England. It was built in the northern part of the old Roman city walls. Construction began in 1068, shortly after Exeter rebelled against William the Conqueror.
The castle gets its name from the red stone found in the hill. This stone was used to build the original parts of the castle. The large, early Norman gatehouse is the main part that still stands today. The castle is surrounded by the Rougemont Gardens and Northernhay Gardens, which are public parks.
In 1136, the castle was attacked by King Stephen for three months. Later, in the 12th century, an outer defensive area called an outer bailey was added.
The castle is even mentioned in William Shakespeare's play Richard III. This refers to King Richard III's visit to Exeter in 1483. For many years, starting around 1607, Devon's main court was located here. In 1682, three women from Bideford, accused of witchcraft, were found guilty at the Exeter court. They were the last people in England to be put to death for this accusation.
Most of the old buildings inside the castle walls were removed in the 1770s. A new courthouse was built in their place. This courthouse was made bigger in 1895 and 1905. Because it was a working court, the castle's inside was not open to the public until the court moved in 2004. After that, the site was sold to a developer. They planned to turn it into a lively public space.
Contents
Building the Castle: Early History
After the Norman conquest in 1066, Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, who was the mother of the defeated King Harold, lived in Exeter. This might have made Exeter a place where people resisted William the Conqueror. Another reason for trouble was William's demand for more money from the city.
Exeter's citizens refused to promise loyalty to William. So, in 1068, he marched to the city and attacked it for 18 days. The city eventually gave up. The people of Exeter had been able to defend themselves because of the strong city wall. This wall was first built by the Romans and fixed up by King Athelstan around 928.
Even though the city surrendered, William ordered a castle to be built inside the wall. This was to make sure he stayed in control. The best spot was chosen at the highest point, inside the northern corner of the wall, on a rocky hill.
Baldwin FitzGilbert was put in charge of building the castle. He was also made the castle's commander. A deep ditch and a high earth bank were built between the city walls. This created a square area about 600 feet on each side. The Domesday Book from 1086 reported that 48 houses in Exeter were destroyed for the castle.
A large stone gatehouse, which you can still see today, was built into the bank on the south side. It has old English building styles, showing it was built very early by English builders for the Normans. At first, the earth bank probably had a wooden fence on top. But soon, two stone towers were built where the bank met the city walls. The western tower is still there.
The wooden fence was soon replaced by a stone curtain wall. This wall was connected to the repaired city walls. There is proof that the castle was attacked before it was even finished. This comes from repairs to one of the towers and a report from 1069 about an attack on Exeter.
In the early 12th century, a chapel dedicated to St Mary was built inside the castle.
The Siege of 1136 and Later Changes
In 1136, Baldwin de Redvers took control of the castle. This was part of his rebellion against King Stephen. King Stephen's army quickly surrounded the castle. Redvers managed to hold out for three months. However, he eventually ran out of water from his well and rainwater tank.
It's thought that a tower on the eastern side might have been destroyed during this attack. This could have happened if attackers dug tunnels under the walls. A short tunnel found around 1930 might be linked to this event. It's also likely that the castle's outer defense, called a barbican, was captured and destroyed then.
North of the castle, there's a small circular earth mound. Today it's called "Danes' Castle." But from the 12th to the 16th century, it was known as "New Castle." People used to think it was an outer defense for Rougemont Castle. But after digging there in 1992, experts now believe King Stephen built it during his attack.
After Stephen's attack, new siege engines (war machines) were being developed. This led to the building of an outer bailey in the late 12th century. This was a wall with an outer ditch. A small part of this wall still remains today.
The castle continued to be repaired until the early 14th century. The last recorded repair to its defenses was in 1352. By about 1500, the original main entrance was no longer used and was blocked up. A different archway nearby became the new entrance. In the castle's northern corner, there was a secret exit called a sally port under a large tower. These were destroyed in 1774.
Even though its official name was "Exeter Castle," the name "Rougemont Castle" became more common around 1250. It refers to the red color of the rocks and the walls built from them. King Richard III visited Exeter in 1483. In Shakespeare's play, the king remembers seeing the castle and confusing "Rougemont" with "Richmond." This made him think about his own death.
The castle was said to be badly damaged in 1497. This was when Perkin Warbeck and 6,000 Cornishmen entered the city. By 1600, people said the castle looked old and had "gaping chinks."
The Castle from the 17th to 20th Centuries
In 1607, a courthouse was built inside the castle walls. In 1682 and 1685, the four "Devon witches" were tried here. They were found guilty and later put to death in Heavitree. They were the last people in England to be put to death for witchcraft. A plaque on the wall near the gatehouse remembers these events.
John Norden, a famous mapmaker, drew a plan of the castle in 1617. It showed the new court buildings, the chapel, the castle well, and other features.
The castle was not a major battleground during the English Civil War. However, in 1642, the city of Exeter was allowed to use money to strengthen the city and repair the castle. Even with several artillery batteries at the castle, the city fell to the Royalists in 1643. Then, it fell to the Parliamentarians in 1646. During part of the war, the gatehouse was used as a prison.
In 1773, all the buildings inside the castle walls were torn down. They were replaced with a new courthouse made of limestone. This building was designed by Philip Stowey and later changed by James Wyatt. At this time, the old entrance arch was replaced with a new one. This new entrance, with a fake portcullis, is still used today. The court buildings were made bigger in 1895 and again in 1905.
In 1891, a part of the castle wall near the gatehouse was about to fall down. Despite efforts to fix it, it collapsed in October of that year. This unstable part of the wall was where a circular tower had once stood. When this tower was removed (we don't know exactly when), the wall built in its place was very weak.
After St Mary's chapel was demolished in the late 1700s, a small building was put near the new castle entrance. When workers were making this building safe, they found human skeletons under its floor. These were thought to be people buried in the chapel grounds.
Other interesting things happened at the castle. In June 1786, a man named Monsieur St Croix made the first hot-air balloon ascent in Exeter from the castle yard. On May 15, 1832, the first Annual Exhibition of the Devon Agricultural Society was held here. This was the start of the Devon County Show. The County Council moved out of the castle in 1964.
Rougemont Castle in the 21st Century
Until 2003, the castle's buildings were still used as courts for Exeter. Because of this, the castle was not well known or easy to visit. Few local people had ever been inside. However, it became difficult to provide access for people with disabilities on the steep castle site. So, new courts were built in Exeter in 2004.
After a plan for Exeter City Council to buy the site failed, it was sold in 2007 to a company called GL50 Properties. The company's director said they wanted to turn Rougemont Castle into "the Covent Garden of the South West of England."
Today, Rougemont Castle is a Scheduled Monument, which means it has a high level of legal protection. Its main buildings are also listed buildings, meaning they are historically important. A statue of the 1st Earl Fortescue, made in 1863, stands in the courtyard.
The city council has expressed its hopes for the castle's future. They believe that no matter what it's used for, the castle should be open to the public. It should be part of the city's cultural area. The historical importance of the site should be respected. At least the impressive courtyard should be available for public events. For example, the band Coldplay played a charity concert in the courtyard in December 2009.
In 2011, the former Court 1 was reopened as the Ballroom. Its arched windows were lowered to floor level. Toilets were put in the old prison cells. Court 2 was reopened as the Gallery. Also, 12 new apartments were created within the castle walls.
