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On a bleak rocky promontory at the narrowest point of the Dart estuary in Devon stands the ingeniously positioned late 14th century Dartmouth Castle intended at its earliest conception to protect the warehouses and homes of Dartmouth’s merchants from attacks by foreign ships. A small fort was built in 1388 to protect expensive stone-throwing machines whose range just about covered the narrow harbour entrance. However, between 1481, and 1495 a new tower was constructed to mount heavy guns, the first purpose-built artillery tower in the country.
It is rumoured that the Middle Age poet and social commentator Geoffrey Chaucer based The Shipman character in his Canterbury Tales on the colourful John Hawley – the merchant and mayor of Dartmouth who built the first castle on this site.
Exhibitions and presentations take visitors on a journey through time from the Tudor period and the Civil War to World War II. Well thought out displays on the castle’s 600-year history add to the experience.
For those of you with a willing heart and a love of the open wave, a boat trip from quayside at Dartmouth lands you just a short walk from the castle entrance.
The castle lies 1mile SE of Dartmouth off B3205, down a narrow approach road.
More photos and descriptions are available
using the links below.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk
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