Trematon Castle

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Trematon Castle is sited near Saltash in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is similar in style to Restormel Castle with a 12th century keep. Trematon Castle overlooks Plymouth Sound. It was built by Reginald De Valle Torta on the ruins of an earlier Roman fort. The Normans built this motte-and-bailey castle soon after the Norman conquest. It occupies a sentinel position one and a half miles south-east of Trematon village.

The internal diameter is approximately 21 metres. The rectangular gatehouse, built in 1270, has two floors and a portcullis. Both are currently (in 2007) in good condition.

Both Trematon Castle and Restormel Castle have stone keeps raised on earlier mottes. Both are now in ruins, but they do give an excellent impression of an original shell keep. Trematon has a shell wall 3 metres thick and 9.5 metres high.

From the Norman Conquest until 1270 the rights for the ferry from Saltash Passage on the Plymouth side of the River Tamar to Saltash belonged to the Valletort family. When Roger de Valletort sold Trematon Castle and Manor to Richard Earl of Cornwall, the rent was paid to the Earl’s bailiff. In the thirteenth century, this amounted to nearly seven pounds sterling.

When Sir Francis Drake returned from his circumnavigation voyage in 1580, the treasures he gathered from the Spanish galleons were stored in Trematon Castle. The horde consisted of gold, silver, and precious stones (mainly emeralds) - the result of burglary from Spanish ships along the west coast of South America. Before being moved for storage in the Tower of London, the treasure was temporarily stored in the Golden Hinde.

The Norman castle is now a ruin. It is owned by the Duke of Cornwall. It is currently closed to the public.

Paul Foot^[1], the tirelessly campaigning journalist, was born and brought up in this castle. Paul Foot's uncle, Michael Foot (former leader of the Labour Party), was a regular visitor to the castle. Paul Foot's father was Lord Caradon. Caradon is the name of the local district council.

Trematon Castle & Saltash

[edit] Feet of Fines for Cornwall A.D. 1272 - 1307

Feet of Fines were a final judgement regarding land after legal action had been taken. They provided a record of title, often after purchase.

The Manor and Castle of Trematon was the cause of a court case on 16 February 1270. Richard Plantagenet (created Earl of Cornwall 1226), the son of King John of England, was the claimant and Roger de Valle Torta the opponent regarding this land, 60½ knights fees in Devon and Cornwall, and the Manor of Calstock. The land was said to be the right of the said king as those which he had by Roger's gift.

Following the endorsement of this feet of fine it says: And Henry de la Pomerai and Peter Corbet put in their claim. This was saying that they did not agree with this decision and were lodging notice of their rights to the land. The argument was to continue for many years.

Additional details appear in the Fine Rolls Vol. 1 1272-1307 order: In 1274, the executors of Thomas' will were ordered to deliver to Peter Corbet, son and heir of Thomas Corbet, deceased, the lands which had belonged to his father. Peter was born in 1298, the son of Thomas, who died in 1300, and his first wife, Joan Mortimer.

A page note in the Feet of Fines confirms that Peter Corbet was the grandson of Isabella Corbet (formerly Valletort). This Peter, in 1315, was to petition Parliament for the recovery of the Trematon estate, alleging that when Roger de Valletort made a deed of gift in favour of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, he was non compos mentis.