National Trust - Compton Castle
Facilities
No information
Opening hours
Tuesday
10:30 - 16:00
Wednesday
10:30 - 16:00
Thursday
10:30 - 16:00
Weather for today
20°C
Patchy rain nearby
Today
15 — 22°C
Sun
13 — 21°C
Mon
13 — 22°C
Additional conditions
Sunrise
05:34
Sunset
21:07
Max wind
28.1 km/h
Uv Index
1.3
Description
National Trust - Compton Castle is a unique monument of medieval defensive architecture. This 14th century fortified noble manor house has been owned by the Gilbert family for over 600 years, offering a fascinating insight into the history of the English aristocracy.
You'll be amazed by the original defensive elements - walls, towers and gates with drop bars, as well as the beautifully restored Great Hall with a model of Sir Humphrey Gilbert's ship.
The small but perfectly designed garden changes with the seasons, offering charming walks among the roses and autumn colors. This is the perfect place for history and nature lovers in one.
Reviews
★4.2
David Lock4 weeks agoAlthough only 4 rooms open to the public, the history and we'll maintained gardens make a visit worth while.
Anthony Sutcliffe11 months agoA National Trust property, tucked away down a narrow lane; but well worth the effort to get there. There is a small amount of free parking outside of the grounds
Although it's referred to as a "castle" it's actually a fortified Manor house that started being constructed in the 1600s, and was allowed to go to ruin. Part of the roof, floors, stairs and some walls were reconstructed in the early 1900s.
It's worth noting that parts of the property are still lived in, and as such, a number of rooms and stairs are off limits to visitors.
There was an earlier property on the site, but there's no indication of where it might be; and no-one has been able to determine anything about the size and shape or even when it was constructed.
On the day that we visited, a volunteer, dressed in an appropriate costume for the 1600s was available to provide details of the various families that have owned and lived in the house. This was especially interesting and really brought the whole thing to life.
There are a couple of spiral stone staircases to get to the first floor; these are very narrow, and may be unsuitable for some of those with mobility issues.
A previous owner had served on HMS Squirrel, and a number of small stuffed squirrels have been carefully placed around the property for younger visitors to find; which was clearly very popular!
The volunteers have also arranged for a number of costumes to be set aside for visitors to use, in order to help get into the sense of what life was like. These were being used by young and older alike, and certainly made a difference.
All in all, a very pleasant and informative few hours. Highly recommended!
Mandy Lewisa year agoA lovely couple of hours spent there, very informative and really lovely staff. if you go in nice weather there are picnic tables to use in a beautiful setting, there is a nice little cottage in the car park opposite where we had tea and scones, I would have loved to have bought a little wooden squirrel from the castle, maybe a thought for the national trust.Related categories
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