Time to visit a smaller place: Restormel Castle
Now it is time to find another English Heritage gem. This place is much smaller than the enormous castles we are used to. Let's visit the Restormel Castle!
Entering the Restormel castle
The Restormel Castle is a small construction located in Cornwall, 15 min away from Landhydrock house. This one is dated from the 14th century, so it’s a close contemporary to Tintagel Castle. But unlike this last one, it is located inside of the lands. Thanks to this, it was better preserved as it was exposed to lower winds. Despite the wooden structure is gone, the remains of the stone structure are still mostly intact and can give an overall view of how this place used to look like.
A view from the outside
The outside of the place is mainly composed of the defensive wall, the bridge and the stash. Unlike other fortified places, the defence of this castle is basic: a simple wall with a gatehouse on the bridge, a watch-tower, everything situated on the unique hill of the area. This small structure is still important. It gives a clear view of how less important Lords were living at the time. It’s interesting to realize that not all of them were rich and powerful.
Let’s go inside
The inner structure is composed of a central court surrounded by buildings built against the outer wall. There were a dining room, a room for storing victuals and materials, barracks for soldiers and the living quarters of the Lord. However, there is not a lot of space within the walls as it is a very small castle, there is only enough room for basic needs.
End of the Visit
In the overall, the place is very small. I would not advise visiting this castle on its own. However, as it’s so close to Landhydrock House, it’s worth paying a visit. I would highly recommend visiting the Tintagel Castle. From here you can have a better idea of the organization of more important castles of this era. But in the end, it’s still an interesting place to visit as it gives us an overview of how smaller Lords were living at that time.
