Trematon Castle
Encyclopedia
Trematon Castle is situated near Saltash
in Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. It is similar in style to the later Restormel Castle
, with a 12th century keep. Trematon Castle overlooks Plymouth Sound
and was built probably by Robert, Count of Mortain on the ruins of an earlier Roman fort: it is a motte-and-bailey
castle and dates from soon after the Norman conquest. It occupies a sentinel position one and a half miles south-east of Trematon
village.
, has a stone keep raised on an earlier motte
. Although in ruins, much of the Norman walls remain standing, so that the original form of the Castle and keep are clear. The keep is oval and has walls ten feet thick and thirty feet high. The internal diameter is approximately 21 metres. A rectangular gatehouse, built in 1270, has two floors and a portcullis
. Both are in good condition.
The military historian Sir Charles Oman
says of the castle's situation "Trematon is high aloft, on one of the summits of the rather chaotic group of hill-tops which lie behind Saltash and its daring modern bridge."
Within the Castle courtyard stands a Georgian
house built in about 1808. This has four reception rooms and six main bedrooms, as well as servants' quarters. Part of the original Castle wall was demolished to give this house a view into the surrounding countryside.
soon after the Norman Conquest
.
From the Conquest until 1270, the rights for the ferry from Saltash Passage
on the Plymouth
side of the River Tamar
to Saltash belonged to the Valletort family. When Roger de Valletort sold Trematon Castle and manor to Richard Earl of Cornwall
, the rent was paid to the Earl's bailiff. In the thirteenth century, this amounted to nearly seven pounds sterling.
The Castle has remained the property of the Earls and Dukes of Cornwall without interruption since 1270, when Earl Richard bought it for £300.
When Sir Francis Drake returned from his circumnavigation
voyage in 1580, he came into harbour in Plymouth
, then slipped out to anchor behind St Nicholas Island until word came from Queen Elizabeth
's Court for the treasures he had gathered to be stored in Trematon Castle. The horde consisted of gold, silver, and precious stones, mainly emeralds, the result of piracy
from Spanish ships along the west coast of South America
. Before being moved for storage in the Tower of London
, the treasure was temporarily stored in the Golden Hinde.
In 1961 the Duchy of Cornwall advertised the Castle to be let on a full repairing lease for 21 years, with breaks, at a rent of £250 a year. It subsequently became the home in Cornwall of Hugh Foot, Lord Caradon
, and his son Paul Foot
, a campaigning journalist, spent much of his youth there. Lord Caradon's brother Michael Foot
, the leader of the Labour Party
from 1980–1983, was a frequent visitor to the castle.
Queen Elizabeth II
visited the Castle on 25 July 1962 accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall
, Sir Edward Bolitho, before driving to Fowey
and embarking in HMY Britannia
.
The castle is currently closed to the public.
(1086) as the manor
of "Tremetone". The manor was one of the 17 Antiqua maneria
of the Duchy of Cornwall.
The Manor and Castle of Trematon was the cause of a court case on 16 February 1270. Richard Plantagenet
(created Earl of Cornwall
1226), the son of King John of England
, was the claimant and Roger de Valle Torta the opponent regarding this land, 60½ knights fees in Devon and Cornwall, and the Manor of Calstock
. The land was said to be the right of the said king as those which he had by Roger's gift.
Following the endorsement of this foot of fine it says: And Henry de la Pomerai and Peter Corbet put in their claim. This was saying that they did not agree with this decision and were lodging notice of their rights to the land. The argument was to continue for many years.
Additional details appear in the Fine Rolls Vol. 1 1272-1307 order: In 1274, the executors of Thomas' will were ordered to deliver to Peter Corbet, son and heir of Thomas Corbet, deceased, the lands which had belonged to his father. Peter was born in 1298, the son of Thomas, who died in 1300, and his first wife, Joan Mortimer.
A page note in the Feet of Fines
confirms that Peter Corbet was the grandson of Isabella Corbet (formerly Valletort). This Peter, in 1315, was to petition Parliament for the recovery of the Trematon estate, alleging that when Roger de Valletort made a deed of gift in favour of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, he was non compos mentis
.
Saltash
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is similar in style to the later Restormel Castle
Restormel Castle
Restormel Castle is situated on the River Fowey near Lostwithiel, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is one of the four chief Norman castles of Cornwall, the others being Launceston, Tintagel and Trematon. The castle is notable for its perfectly circular design...
, with a 12th century keep. Trematon Castle overlooks Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a bay at Plymouth in England.Its southwest and southeast corners are Penlee Point in Cornwall and Wembury Point on Devon, a distance of about 3 nautical miles . Its northern limit is Plymouth Hoe giving a north-south distance of nearly 3 nautical miles...
and was built probably by Robert, Count of Mortain on the ruins of an earlier Roman fort: it is a motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
castle and dates from soon after the Norman conquest. It occupies a sentinel position one and a half miles south-east of Trematon
Trematon
Trematon is a village in Cornwall, England, about two miles from the town of Saltash and part of the civil parish of St Stephens-by-Saltash.-History:Trematon appears in the Domesday Book as the manor of "Tremetone"....
village.
Description
Trematon Castle, like Restormel CastleRestormel Castle
Restormel Castle is situated on the River Fowey near Lostwithiel, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is one of the four chief Norman castles of Cornwall, the others being Launceston, Tintagel and Trematon. The castle is notable for its perfectly circular design...
, has a stone keep raised on an earlier motte
Motte
Motte may be:*Motte-and-bailey, a type of construction used in castles*Isaac Motte, an 18th century American statesman*La Motte , various places with this name-See also:* Mote * Mott...
. Although in ruins, much of the Norman walls remain standing, so that the original form of the Castle and keep are clear. The keep is oval and has walls ten feet thick and thirty feet high. The internal diameter is approximately 21 metres. A rectangular gatehouse, built in 1270, has two floors and a portcullis
Portcullis
A portcullis is a latticed grille made of wood, metal, fibreglass or a combination of the three. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege...
. Both are in good condition.
The military historian Sir Charles Oman
Charles Oman
Sir Charles William Chadwick Oman was a British military historian of the early 20th century. His reconstructions of medieval battles from the fragmentary and distorted accounts left by chroniclers were pioneering...
says of the castle's situation "Trematon is high aloft, on one of the summits of the rather chaotic group of hill-tops which lie behind Saltash and its daring modern bridge."
Within the Castle courtyard stands a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
house built in about 1808. This has four reception rooms and six main bedrooms, as well as servants' quarters. Part of the original Castle wall was demolished to give this house a view into the surrounding countryside.
History
The castle was established here by Robert, Count of MortainRobert, Count of Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st Earl of Cornwall was a Norman nobleman and the half-brother of William I of England. Robert was the son of Herluin de Conteville and Herleva of Falaise and was full brother to Odo of Bayeux. The exact year of Robert's birth is unknown Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st...
soon after the Norman Conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
.
From the Conquest until 1270, the rights for the ferry from Saltash Passage
Saltash Passage
Saltash Passage is on the Devon side of the River Tamar, opposite Saltash. Also shown on some maps as 'Riverside', it is part of St Budeaux, which in turn forms part of the city of Plymouth. Saltash Passage lies at the northern end of Wolseley Road. It is named after the ferry that carried...
on the Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
side of the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
to Saltash belonged to the Valletort family. When Roger de Valletort sold Trematon Castle and manor to Richard Earl of Cornwall
Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall
Richard of Cornwall was Count of Poitou , 1st Earl of Cornwall and German King...
, the rent was paid to the Earl's bailiff. In the thirteenth century, this amounted to nearly seven pounds sterling.
The Castle has remained the property of the Earls and Dukes of Cornwall without interruption since 1270, when Earl Richard bought it for £300.
When Sir Francis Drake returned from his circumnavigation
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
voyage in 1580, he came into harbour in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, then slipped out to anchor behind St Nicholas Island until word came from Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
's Court for the treasures he had gathered to be stored in Trematon Castle. The horde consisted of gold, silver, and precious stones, mainly emeralds, the result of piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
from Spanish ships along the west coast of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Before being moved for storage in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, the treasure was temporarily stored in the Golden Hinde.
In 1961 the Duchy of Cornwall advertised the Castle to be let on a full repairing lease for 21 years, with breaks, at a rent of £250 a year. It subsequently became the home in Cornwall of Hugh Foot, Lord Caradon
Hugh Foot, Baron Caradon
Hugh Mackintosh Foot, Baron Caradon, GCMG KCVO OBE PC was a British colonial administrator and diplomat who oversaw moves to independence in various colonies and was UK representative to the United Nations....
, and his son Paul Foot
Paul Foot
Paul Mackintosh Foot was a British investigative journalist, political campaigner, author, and long-time member of the Socialist Workers Party...
, a campaigning journalist, spent much of his youth there. Lord Caradon's brother Michael Foot
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
, the leader of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
from 1980–1983, was a frequent visitor to the castle.
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
visited the Castle on 25 July 1962 accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall
Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. Since 1742, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Cornwall.*John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1554*John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–?...
, Sir Edward Bolitho, before driving to Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
and embarking in HMY Britannia
HMY Britannia
Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia is the former Royal Yacht of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the 83rd such vessel since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. She is the second Royal yacht to bear the name, the first being the famous racing cutter built for The Prince of Wales...
.
The castle is currently closed to the public.
Manor of Trematon
Trematon appears in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(1086) as the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of "Tremetone". The manor was one of the 17 Antiqua maneria
Antiqua maneria
The Antiqua maneria were the original 17 manors belonging to the Earldom of Cornwall.After March 1337 these manors passed to the new Duchy of Cornwall which was created by King Edward III to give financial support to his son Edward, the Black Prince .The table below shows the 17 Antiqua maneria...
of the Duchy of Cornwall.
Feet of Fines for Cornwall A.D. 1272 - 1307
Feet of Fines were final judgements regarding land after legal action had been taken. They provided a record of title, often after purchase.The Manor and Castle of Trematon was the cause of a court case on 16 February 1270. Richard Plantagenet
Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall
Richard of Cornwall was Count of Poitou , 1st Earl of Cornwall and German King...
(created Earl of Cornwall
Earl of Cornwall
The title of Earl of Cornwall was created several times in the Peerage of England before 1337, when it was superseded by the title Duke of Cornwall, which became attached to heirs-apparent to the throne.-Earl of Cornwall:...
1226), the son of King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
, was the claimant and Roger de Valle Torta the opponent regarding this land, 60½ knights fees in Devon and Cornwall, and the Manor of Calstock
Calstock
Calstock is civil parish and a large village in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the border with Devon. The village is situated on the River Tamar south west of Tavistock and north of Plymouth....
. The land was said to be the right of the said king as those which he had by Roger's gift.
Following the endorsement of this foot of fine it says: And Henry de la Pomerai and Peter Corbet put in their claim. This was saying that they did not agree with this decision and were lodging notice of their rights to the land. The argument was to continue for many years.
Additional details appear in the Fine Rolls Vol. 1 1272-1307 order: In 1274, the executors of Thomas' will were ordered to deliver to Peter Corbet, son and heir of Thomas Corbet, deceased, the lands which had belonged to his father. Peter was born in 1298, the son of Thomas, who died in 1300, and his first wife, Joan Mortimer.
A page note in the Feet of Fines
Feet of Fines
A Foot of fine is the archival copy of the agreement between two parties in a medieval English lawsuit over land. In the reign of Henry II of England, the royal justices first began the practice of registering the settlement of disagreements over land by having both parties bring a suit before the...
confirms that Peter Corbet was the grandson of Isabella Corbet (formerly Valletort). This Peter, in 1315, was to petition Parliament for the recovery of the Trematon estate, alleging that when Roger de Valletort made a deed of gift in favour of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, he was non compos mentis
Non compos mentis
Non compos mentis is a term meaning 'not of sound mind'. Non compos mentis derives from the Latin non meaning "not", compos meaning "having ", and mentis , meaning "mind"...
.