Berry Pomeroy Castle

About the museum

Berry Pomeroy has belonged to the Pomeroy family since the Norman period, and a castle is first mentioned in 1496. Archaeological digs in the 1980s and 1990s found nothing earlier than the late fifteenth century, so the surviving gatehouse and towered curtain walls date from that time. A wall painting in the gatehouse from around 1500 was rediscovered in 1978.

In 1547 Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, bought the castle from the Pomeroys. He was executed in 1552, but his family regained the estate. From about 1560 the Seymours built a grand four-storey mansion inside the old walls, and around 1600 they added a north range. It was meant to be the finest house in Devon, but money ran out and the building was never finished.

The Seymours lived there until the 1690s, and an inventory of 1688 lists about fifty rooms. After the family moved to a new house in Wiltshire, the castle was abandoned and had become a ruin by 1700. Over the next centuries sightseers and artists were drawn to it, and the ruins gave rise to many ghost stories, so that it is often called one of the most haunted castles in Britain. It is still owned by the Duke of Somerset, and English Heritage looks after it. Visitors see the gatehouse, the Elizabethan ruins and the woodland around the site.

Highlights

• Imposing gatehouse and towered walls
• Ruins of an unfinished Elizabethan mansion
• Ghost stories told on the free audio tour
• Treasure hunter and World Builder family trails
• Steep woodland walks with views of the ruins

Permanent exhibition

• Castle ruins and Elizabethan mansion – The gatehouse with a 15th-century wall painting, the towered walls and the roofless ruins of the unfinished Seymour mansion, with an audio tour of ghost stories.

Founded

1496

Operated by

English Heritage

Admission & discounts

Prices shown are the lowest off-peak prices for tickets booked online in advance (until midnight the day before) without a donation; standard advance adult tickets cost £8.50 and peak advance tickets £9.26. On the day, adult tickets cost £9.00 to £10.90 depending on the date. A ticket with a voluntary donation costs about 10% more. Tickets are free for English Heritage members, whose membership also covers up to six accompanied children.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: not available
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Only the grounds, the shop and the ground floor of the site are accessible. The ground is uneven throughout and the path to the entrance is unmade; grass, cobbles, earth and stone paths can be slippery when wet. There are several steps in the entrance passage, three spiral staircases down to the gun emplacements and steep stairs up to the medieval defences. Two disabled bays are at the end of the car park nearest the entrance. Braille guides and audio tours are available, but large-print material is not. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area: not available

Children can follow a treasure hunter trail and the World Builder Challenge, in which they design their own forest, and the woodland walks are popular with families. Baby changing is in the accessible toilet. There is no playground, and kites and ball games are restricted.

Getting there & parking

The castle is 2½ miles east of Totnes off the A385. Satellite navigation: TQ9 6LJ. National Cycle Network routes can be planned through Sustrans.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Castle Café next to the car park is not run by English Heritage and its opening times vary, so phoning ahead (01803 849473) is advised. The gift shop just before the entrance sells English Heritage gifts and souvenirs. There are two unisex toilets, one of them accessible. Picnics are welcome in the grounds, and dogs on leads are allowed in the castle, shop and café. There is no playground.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit