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Norman and Medieval
Berry Pomeroy as shown on the castle website by English Heritage
The castle, the ruins of which we see today, was built in the 15th century bu before the C15th there was no castle at Berry Pomeroy.
A 1292 survey reveals that Beri Pomeroy manor was described as having a Hall with Chambers and a Grange. (Edw Powley)
The buildingof the castle in the 1400's may well have been prompted by French raids along the south coast in that time.
For centuries Pirates had raided along the coast but Berry Pomeroy was hidden away several miles inland. Then in 1404 one raid by the French happened when they landed at Blackpool Sands just south of Dartmouth. They were repelled but a French nobleman being killed and some of his knights taken captive.
Following these attacks in the C15th fortifications were increased at Kingswear & Dartmouth at the mouth of the Dart river, at Totnes where additional fortifications were undertaken ; at the home of the younger branch of the Courtenay family at Powderham on the Exe estuary; additional fortifications were also made on the castles at Plymouth and Trematon on the Tamar estuary.
These French raids are most likely what prompted the Pomeroys to build a castle at their manor of Bury Pomeroy and archaeology has revealed that it was built on a previously unused site
What was there before that & where did the Barons Pomeroy Live.?
A document of 1292 tells us that at Berry Pomeroy there was a Hall with Chambers, a grange farm providing for the Manor House, as well as a walled deer park.
Over the generations additions would probably have been made but in the 12th & 13th century what did the Manor House of the Barons Pomeroy look like?
It could have begun looking like any of these, since there is no archaeology there is little way to discover which one was the most likely.
The hall House was a large, long, open room where the Lord and Lady and their household and guests dined, met, held court, metered out local justice and generally had all the important social functions of the household. This would have later been replaced with a more modern manor house.
There was a chamber called the Solar, an upstairs room , where the Lord and Lady actually lived, and slept. There would have been a small chapel where the Lord and Lady heard mass. The Garderobe was both the privy (toilet) and a place to keep clothes. The fumes from urine kept moths away from fine linens. From this where comes the English word “wardrobe.”
The Manor Hall would have been situated amongst the fields and farm of the Manor and the many smaller dwellings used by peasants would have been around it. There might also have been a village church nearby.
Medieval interiors were much more sumptuous than you might suppose. Typically, bare stone rarely showed , the walls were often covered with lime plaster and painted, with designs. Sometimes flowers or vines were painted onto the walls, possibly reflecting their original home in Normandy or pictures with a religious message such as those found at the much later Berry Pomeroy Castle.
Over time the Hall houses grew additions , which turned a simple hall house into small Fortified Manor with external kitchens, a Gatehouse & Watchtower . Castellations required a licence from the Crown & were a sign of status & royal favour in some cases
Given that there is Margaret's Tower at Berry Pomeroy and a gatehouse to be considerably earlier than the rest , we can assume that the illustration above might describes how Berry Pomeroy looked later ; the illustration includes the buildings made by the Seymours after 1547.
Certainly Berry Pomeroy never resembled Stokesay , a particularly magnificent gem of a Fortified Manor
Stokesay fortified Manor, Stokesay Castle in Shropshire
built in the late 13th century by Laurence of Ludlow, a leading & very wealthy, wool merchant .
This wonderful example of a fortified manor might be similar to the original hall at Berry Pomeroy,
with its gatehouse & Tower.
Built not by a baron but by a merchant –Stokesay is
one of the earliest known examples of a successful merchant setting himself up as a country gentleman.'
From the air the manor the layout is clear with the lovely timbered gatehouse to the east seen at the top of the image and to the west the Hall, with its jettied chambers above .The watch tower looks towards the point of most danger the Welsh border.
' I thank the Lord and ever will
' I thank the Lord and ever will
'tis the wool hath paid for all '
'tis the wool hath paid for all '
Fiddleford /Fittleford was the home of one of the wives of a Pomeroy Anna Camell was 2nd daughter of Robert Camell, a gentleman. Her 1st husband was Henry Barrett by whom she had Johanna Barrett who married William Kellaway. Her granddaughter was Agnes Kelloway who married Thomas Pomeroy son of Anna's 3rd husband .
IPM Inquisition Post Mortem of WILLIAM CAMMELL [wife, Elizabeth] held 14 Nov, 22 Hen VII (1506)
Long before his death William Cammell was seised in fee of the manor & advowson of WEST PERLEY and of the manor of FYTYLFFORD/Fiddleford & messuages therein ….
Links to further information on manors in medieval times here.
Fiddleford is an example of a small Manor House and home of the Camell family a Hall Manor house in Wiltshire.
Above - the Hall at Fiddleford Manor
Below the solar with the painted panels at Fiddleford
Kirkham Manor in Paignton seen here -
The house now contains furniture, illustrating traditional craftsmanship and the original use of the rooms.
'This well-preserved late medieval house probably belonged to a well-to-do landowning or merchant family. In the grand hall up to 20 people would dine together.
A Solar illustrated by Victor Ambrus from Time Team
AJP visulalisation of what Berry Pomeroy might have looked like before the 15th century castle was built.
The main Hall House for the family of the Lord of the Manor
a kitchen with quarters for the 'private army' , the entourage of soldiers & men at arms
a barn to stable horses & store supplies like straw & hay
and the gatehouse
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