Photo © Roger Davidson

Lydford Castle

There have been two castles in Lydford, of which one is still standing, seen and accessible from the cycle route. 

'The castle is a three-storey tower built in AD ll95 at a reported cost of £32. The bottom storey has been buried under a grass-covered mound of earth so that the castle appears to have been built on a small hill. However, when entering the ruined and roofless tower, you can see the massively thick walls of the lowest floor, much thicker than the walls of the two upper floors, and you can climb down to the underground level. Behind the tower, or keep, are the earth-covered banks which were the base of the walls which formerly surrounded a large courtyard. Visitors can easily imagine that, during the Middle Ages when this castle was used as a court of law and as a notorious prison, it was an intimidating and very nasty place'.

Lydford Castle can be visited free of charge at any time.

Information courtesy of Derek Palmer. 

More on Lydford at www.lydford.co.uk

Back