Hemyock Castle Gatehouse And Curtain Walls

Hemyock Castle Gatehouse and Curtain Walls are a set of ruined structures dating from around 1380. This was the year when Sir William Asthorpe received permission to build a "wall of stone and lime." Prior to this, there was already some form of structure on the site, mentioned in a 13th-century document as a "court," suggesting that early work on the gatehouse may date back to that period. The walls are constructed from random chert rubble and enclose a roughly rectangular area. The main features include circular towers flanking the east entrance and a corner tower at the north-east angle, along with remains of four other circular mural towers and sections of the curtain wall. There is no dressed stone or detailed features remaining, and the original entrances to the towers are unclear, as they were not at ground level. A vertical masonry joint behind the gatehouse towers likely indicates that part of the structure predates the work from the 1380s.

Historically, Sir William Asthorpe was a courtier appointed as Sheriff of Devon by Richard II during the 1380s, facing significant local opposition. He had connections to the Dynham family through marriage, which led to lengthy legal disputes in the Court of Chivalry. After serving as Sheriff, he faced numerous allegations of embezzlement and corruption from local nobility, resulting in temporary imprisonment in The Fleet prison, although he was later pardoned by Richard II. His precarious position likely contributed to the construction of the castle, which also served to impress the local gentry.