Bickleigh Castle

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Bickleigh Castle is a fortified manor house that stands on the banks of the River Exe in Devon, England (grid reference SS937068).

Once considerably larger, Bickleigh now comprises a group of buildings from various periods. A Norman motte castle of the late 11th or early 12th century was dismantled in the mid 12th century. During this time a small stone chapel was built in the bailey. In the 15th century the Courtney family built a mansion on the site and incorporated some of the earlier buildings. The Carew family then lived there for over two centuries.

The bulk of the castellated structure was demolished during the English Civil War by Parliamentarian troops commanded by Thomas Fairfax. The 'slighting' of Bickleigh was a response to the Royalist sympathies of the Carew family and its use as a stronghold during the conflict. A typical Devon farmhouse of cob and thatch was then added.

The buildings subsequently fell into disrepair, and became a farm store and cottage until they were restored early in the 20th century. The Norman chapel and a 14th century gatehouse still exist.