Gommerock

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Gomerock; Godmerock; Dertemuth

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

On the opposite side of the river to Dartmouth Castle are the ruins of a late Medieval fortified house now called Gomerock, said to be a corruption of 'God, my rock'. Very little is known of it, but is is referred to as "the old castelle of Kingswear in deeds of 1580 and 1590, presumably to distinguish it from the present Kingswear Castle. It must be the 'other tower' mentioned in grants of 1481 and 1486, and portions of it which are visible suggest a date in the 15th century earlier than 1481. It may originate from Hawley's fortifications of the harbour in the 14th century, or it may have been built to guard the Kingswear end of the chain which was stretched across the harbour mouth in the 15th century. Gomerock may have been the 'lodging' by the entrance to Dartmouth which John Corp was licensed to crenellate in 1402, 'for defence against the King's enemies'. (For alternative sitings of this, see Paradise House [Dartmouth, Paradise Point (qv)] and Kingswear Castle (qv). For general description of Dartmouth defences, see SX 85 SE 51 [NMR No 446057]) (O' Neill; Saunders) The substantial but decaying remains of a fortified house called Gomerock. They comprise a five-sided structure, very overgrown, with walls between 1.2 and 1.8m thick and standing to 5m in height. Constructed of rough stone the walls may have been limewashed. The entrance, a gap of 1.2m, is on the SSW side. The door jambs are of dressed sandstone. The interior is completely overgrown. Immediately to the SE is a rectangular building measuring 3.4m by 7m. At its N end is a sunken area. This gives access into a sub-circular recess 3m in diameter, the entrance of which opens into the gable wall at sub-floor level (Field Investigators Comments-RCHME Field Investigation, 04-OCT-1991, WR Wilson-North). (PastScape)
On the grounds of the date of existing remains and the relationship with Dartmouth Castle I favour this as the dwelling of John Corp licenced in 1402.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX88895051

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 446014; 446057
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.devonperspectives.co.uk/johnhawley.html
• Books
  • Higham, Robert A., 1999, 'Castles, Fortified Houses and Fortified Towns in the Middle Ages' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W., Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p136-43
    Salter, Mike, 1999, The Castles of Devon and Cornwall (Malvern) p65
    Mildren, James, 1987, Castles of Devon (Bossiney Books) p90-1
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p117
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p421 [wrongly identified as Dartmouth Castle]
    Lysons, D. and S., 1822, Magna Britannia Vol6 Devon p. cccxlv-cccxlviii [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.asp?pubid=406]
• Journal Articles
  • Higham, R.A., 1988, 'Devon Castles: an annotated list' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol46 p142-9
    Russell and Yorke, 1953, Transactions of the Devonshire Association Vol85 p70-2
    O'Neil, B.H.St.J., 1936, 'Dartmouth Castle and other defences of Dartmouth Haven' Archaeologia Vol85 p129-59 esp p140 plate xxxvii
• Guidebooks
  • Saunders, A.D., 1965, Dartmouth Castle, Devon (HMSO)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1402-5) p219