Dartmouth Artillery Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Clifton; Stoke Fleming; Sir George Carew's castle

In the civil parish of Dartmouth. In the historic county of Devon (Modern Authority of Devon, 1974 county of Devon).

Castle built in 1481 as a chain tower to protect the harbour. It replaced Hawley's Castle. It was converted to an artillery castle in 1509-47 chiefly a tower with flanking gun platforms constructed in 1481. Further additional defences were also built. Castle with adjoining gun platforms. 1480-1494, with successive later modernisations. Some local limestone, but mostly slatestone rubble with red sandstone detail; lead roof. PLAN: Double tower. Small round tower begun first or adapted from C14 fortalice. Square tower built alongside to south-east and the 2 merged at a higher level. Round tower received the Dartmouth end of a chain boom across the estuary, the square tower contained the main armament. Barrack accommodation on upper 2 floors with stair turret projecting from the south side and rising to serve as a lookout. Open batteries each side of the castle. EXTERIOR: Basement level of square tower with 7 embrasures - large rectangular ports close to water level (originally shuttered externally). Loops for handguns as well as small square-headed windows on the upper floors and provision for more cannon on the flat roof. Crenellated parapet and machicolations above the doorway (C20 but in original position). Parapet has been raised on the landward side. INTERIOR: Some alterations to floor levels. Rock-cut basement of round tower has slots for pulley and holes in the rock, probably for windlass for hauling the chain. Much of interior carpentry has been renewed in the C20 but first-floor barracks has large moulded crossbeams with runout stops (surely later than the C15). Also a hooded fireplace and remains of another. Each side of the castle are open batteries with thick crenellated parapets, remodelled in the C18. Originally the castle approach was from the north across a bridge (rebuilt) across a chasm. C18 doorway through the curtain wall has brick segmental arch and contains a fielded 6-panel doorway. The castle and other nearby buildings make up an important group at the mouth of the Dart valley. An important example of a fort designed for artillery, earlier than the castles of Henry VIII.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX88675033

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