Lydford castle, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
Two castles have been built at Lydford, the first immediately in the wake of the Norman Conquest in 1066. The second castle was built on the site of the first castle in c. 1132 AD. It was a 3-storey tower, commanding a strategic view over much of the surrounding countryside, and was eminently defensible, with Lydford Gorge on one side, and the land sloping steeply away from it. Its use changed under the aegis of Edward I of England who made the castle the Stannary prison; its reputation was not good. Sir Richard Grenville used the prison as an oubliette for his political opponents. An order of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII describes the prison in 1512 as: one of the most hanious, contagious and detestable places in the realm, and Lydford Law was a by-word for injustice. During the English Civil War, Lydford Castle was used by the Royalists as a dungeon (in the lowest floor of the building) for Parliamentary supporters and soldiers (most of Devon and Cornwall having maintained their allegiences to King Charles I). It was also one of the seats of the Bloody Assizes of Hanging Judge Jeffreys.
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Photo credit: © David Carton / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: castle, dartmoor, devon, dungeon, gaol, jail, jeffreys, judge, law, lydford, prison, royalist, stannary, uk
