Restormel Castle

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Restormel Castle

Restormel Castle is situated on the River Fowey near Lostwithiel, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.

It was built in 1100 in the typical motte and bailey style and is a perfect example of military architecture of its period, and one of the finest in England. The castle belonged to the Cardinhams in the 12th century, until Andrew de Cardinham's daughter married Thomas de Tracey, who owned the castle until 1264, after which it went to Simon de Montfort and to Henry III's brother, Richard of Cornwall. Richard died in 1271, and his son Edmond in 1300. It then became the property of the Duchy of Cornwall.

Restormel Castle is now in the care of English Heritage and is open to the public.

The castle was built behind a 17 metre moat, upon slopes which were artificially steepened. Restormel has seen action only once during its long history, when Charles I's forces drove out the Parliamentarian garrison during the Civil War.

In 1999 members of the Cornish Stannary Parliament removed signs from this site and other Cornish sites under the care of the English Heritage organisation, based upon the claim that the sites should properly be marked as Cornish heritage and not English. Three men later paid criminal fines in connection with these actions. ^[1]

In 2007 British Archaeology magazine reported the discovery of a Roman fort near Restormel castle. A geophysical magnetometer survey was conducted by members of the Saltash Heritage.^[2]