Fifteen miles downstream of Exeter, Powderham Castle faces over the estuary of the River Exe, having originally risen “from the ashes of the Great Plague, but that wouldn’t be its last brush with adversity”. At the beginning it was a true castle, set in 50,000 acres. Alas, after weathering wars, sieges and other troubles, it has lost much of its land, and is less medieval and much more 18th century, but it’s still splendid, and its rooms are breathtaking.

To read more, go to this article from which the above illustration has been taken.

I fear that the “housewife” in me took one look at all that fancy plasterwork on the walls and ceilings and thought “Cobwebs!” Clearly I’m too lowly to be accustomed to the luxury of servants!


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  1. […] was the daughter of Sir Philip Courtenay of Powderham, Devon. With Humphrey she had a son, John, later Sir John, and two daughters, Philippa and Elizabeth. All […]

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  2. […] feature very old coins unearthed. This one was found by metal detecting in a field somewhere in Devon and dates from Henry III‘s reign. It was part of a special consignment of pennies, minted by […]

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  3. […] III’s second  cousin. It can be said to define Yorkshire in the way that Chatsworth and Powderham define their counties. Built on the site of Gawthorp House, it is truly majestic. The gates are on […]

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