History of Plymouth Castle in Devon
By David Nash Ford

P L Y M O U T H
C A S T L E
Naval Town's Lost Castle

At Plymouth there was, in Leland's day (ie 16th century), a haven-guarding castle, which he regarded as quite comparatively modern: "On a rocky hill hard by the south side of the mouth, where the ships lyeth, is a strong castle quadrate, having at each corner a great round tower. It seemeth to me no very old piece of work." A date of between 1220 and 1280 is usually assigned to this structure, despite Leyland's opinion to the contrary. A period when Plymouth (like Fowey and Dartmouth) suffered greatly from French naval raids. Though the townsmen of Plymouth, after a particularly vicious French raid in 1403, got leave to levy a toll on goods landed in their port, for the purpose of building a wall and tower. We may, therefore, suspect that this might be the date of the castle which was visible in 1540. Unfortunately, this castle, whatever it was, was ruined and com-pletely superseded by the newer and much larger citadel of Charles II. This was immediately above the site of the old building, whose position is marked by the modem names of Castle Street and the Barbican, on the very edge of Sutton Pool, the old town harbour. There is a scrap of wall preserved in Lambhay Street, at the back of the Barbican. This is believed to have been one of a pair of towers flanking the castle entrance, as shown on old maps.