Tiverton Castle facts for kids
Tiverton Castle is an ancient castle that was partly taken apart after the English Civil War. In the 1600s, it was turned into a large country house. The castle sits in a strong position high above the River Exe in Tiverton, Devon.
What is Tiverton Castle Like?
Tiverton Castle used to be much bigger. Today, it has ruined walls, towers, and buildings from different time periods. The first part of the castle, a mound and courtyard castle, was built by the Normans in 1106.
A Look at the Castle's History
The English Civil War and the Castle
During the English Civil War, Tiverton Castle was a strong base for the King's supporters, known as Royalists. In 1645, Fairfax, who led the Parliamentarian army, surrounded the castle. He set up his main camp at Blundell's School and placed his cannons on Skrink Hills, about half a mile away.
The Parliamentarians used a very large cannon called a Culverin. It could fire a cannonball up to 2,000 yards! One lucky shot hit a chain holding up the castle's drawbridge. When the drawbridge fell, a small group of Parliamentarian soldiers quickly rushed in. This ended the siege almost as soon as it began. After the castle was captured, the Parliamentarian troops largely destroyed its defenses. They wanted to make sure it could not be used as a military base again.
The story of the castle's capture was written down in 1645 by John Rushworth. He described how the Parliamentarian army attacked the castle. He noted that a cannonball broke the drawbridge chain, allowing soldiers to enter. The Parliamentarians captured the governor, Sir Gilbert Talbot, along with many officers and soldiers. They also took cannons, weapons, and supplies.
- What was captured at Tiverton Castle:
- Colonel Sir Gilbert Talbot, the governor
- Major Sadler
- 20 other important officers
- 200 regular soldiers
- Four cannons
- 500 weapons, plus lots of ammunition, food, and treasure
Who Owned the Castle?
The Redvers Family
In 1106, King Henry I gave the important area of Tiverton to Richard de Redvers. He was the one who built the first castle. His son, Baldwin de Redvers, became the first Earl of Devon around 1141. Later, a woman named Mary de Redvers married Robert de Courtenay.
The Courtenay Family
After the Redvers family, the Courtenay family became the main owners of Tiverton Castle. This happened when Isabella de Forz died in 1293 without children. Her relative, Hugh de Courtenay, became the new owner. He was later named the first Earl of Devon in 1335.
Tiverton Castle was the main home for the Courtenay Earls of Devon for a long time. One famous Courtenay was William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon. His wife, Catherine of York, was the daughter of King Edward IV. She was also the sister of King Edward V and aunt to King Henry VIII.
However, these royal connections did not protect her son, Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, 2nd Earl of Devon. In 1539, King Henry VIII had him arrested and executed. After this, the Courtenay family lost Tiverton Castle for a while. The Courtenays also owned Okehampton Castle and later built Colcombe Castle, both in Devon.
Other Owners After the Courtenays
After Henry Courtenay's execution, King Henry VIII gave Tiverton Castle to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford. Then, King Edward VI gave it to his uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset. After the Duke was executed, the castle was given to Sir Henry Gates. However, Sir Henry Gates also faced trouble and lost his lands.
The Castle Returns to the Courtenays
Queen Mary I later gave Tiverton Castle back to Edward Courtenay, who was the only son of the executed Henry Courtenay. She also made him the Earl of Devon again. When Edward Courtenay died in 1556 without children, the castle and lands were divided among his distant relatives. These relatives were descended from his great-grandfather's four sisters.
The Giffard Family
One of the first people to buy a share of the castle was Roger Giffard (1533-1603). He made Tiverton Castle his family home. He was a respected person, though much of his story is now lost.
Roger Giffard was the fifth son of Sir Roger Giffard. His family had lived at Halsbury for a long time. Roger Giffard married Audrey Stucley in 1563. He was also involved with Blundell's School in Tiverton, which was founded by Peter Blundell. Roger Giffard bought a quarter share of the Tiverton area and all the buildings of Tiverton Castle. For a time, the castle was even called "Giffard's Court."
He built a new tower porch inside the castle courtyard in 1588. You can still see the date "1588" and his initials "RG" carved into the wall there. Roger Giffard lived through a terrible fire in Tiverton on April 3, 1598. This fire killed 33 people and destroyed 400 houses.
His son, George Giffard, and grandson, Roger Giffard, also held important positions related to Blundell's School. The last Roger Giffard had no sons, and his daughter became his only heir. She married Roger Burgoyne. The Burgoyne family later sold the castle and their share of Tiverton to Peter West.
The West Family
Around 1605, the West family, who were Tiverton merchants, also bought shares of the castle. It seems the Wests lived in the castle until it was partly destroyed after the English Civil War. However, they later rebuilt part of it to live in again.
The Carew Family
When John West died in 1728, his family owned most of the original Tiverton area. Since he had no sons, the property went to his daughter, Dorothy West, and her husband, Sir Thomas Carew. In 1822, it was reported that Sir Henry Carew, a descendant, owned even more of the Tiverton area. The Carew family had rented out the castle for a while, but then they fixed it up for Lady Carew, Sir Henry's mother, to live in.
The Campbell Family
The Carew family's descendants sold Tiverton Castle in 1923. After several different owners, Ivar Campbell bought it in 1960. His nephew, Angus Campbell, inherited the castle in 1985.
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