Kingswear Castle

Built in 1495 Kingswear Castle forms part of the Tudor defences of the River Dart with Dartmouth Castle on the opposite bank of the river mouth. Both were built to house cannon, at Kingswear Castle in the lowest story, moulded in gun embrasures on the three seaward sides of the castle.   The cannon were culverin swivel mounted on oak plates within the cills of the embrasures, and breech loading.

The castle is simple, small and rectangle in plan, four storeys high, with a 19th century round tower extension on the landward side of the building linked to it by a stone-built passage.

When acquired by the Landmark Trust the castle had been in use as a home for some years, its original martial intent concealed behind modern partitions.   These we unpicked to discover the archaeology of the castle and its original form.  We opened up each of the three main floors, restored the first floor to its original level, and formed a new solid paved roof with a bathroom at the head of the vice turret, in the position of the original hoard.