10 Incredible Castles in Devon and Cornwall, England

Nestled in a quiet wooded valley with stunning views of the South Devon countryside, Berry Pomeroy is a romantic Grade I listed ruin that’s said to be one of the most haunted castles in Britain. Unusually, there are two castles on the one site: a Tudor mansion built by the Seymour family enclosed within the walls of an older Norman building. The land was originally given by William the Conqueror to Ralph de Pomeroy in the 11th century as a reward for his support and loyalty during the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings. In the 13th century, his descendent Henry de Pomeroy oversaw construction of the castle, and it stayed with the Pomeroys until the late 1540s when it was then acquired by Sir Edward Seymour, who made additions to the castle. He was later executed on the orders of his brother in law Henry VIII, and the castle was abandoned in 1688 and fell into ruin. In 1977, English Heritage took over its management and restoration.