Okehampton Castle was built between 1068 and 1086. It was converted into a sumptuous residence in the 14th century by Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon. After the last Courtenay owner fell foul of Henry VIII in 1539, the castle declined into ruin.
Watch the video:
This video of our visit to Okehampton Castle was recorded on 18 May 2023 with a DJI Pocket 2 camera.
Below are some stills from the Okehampton Castle video.
Okehampton Castle was built along a long, thin rocky outcrop, rising up from the surrounding countryside. The stream that runs around the north side of the castle would have been more substantial in the medieval period and provided additional protection on that side, while the south side of the castle would have probably overlooked water-logged fields. The castle was mostly built from local stone, with aplite from nearby Meldon and some beer stone from southeast Devon; the interior and exterior stonework would have originally been rendered with lime plaster. The castle’s final design involved a visitor entering from the barbican in the northeast, along a long passageway up the hill, into the bailey. On the southwest side of the bailey lay the motte, mounted by the keep.
Website: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/okehampton-castle/