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Summary

Sham castle ruin built in the mid 18th century with a retaining stone wall forming a ha-ha. The folly was apparently created from an old lime kiln.

Location

Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden (I) 1000120: CASTLE HILL
• Listed Building (II) 1107540: SHAM CASTLE RUIN AND SURROUNDING BOUNDARY RETAINING WALL APPROXIMATELY 260 METRES NORTH OF CASTLE HILL HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS62NE/4/10
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FOLLY (Built, XVIII - 1701 AD (Between) to 1800 AD (Between))

Full description

Fortescue, Earl, 1956, Address by the President. Some notes on the family of Fortescue, 4 (Article in Serial). SDV76556.

The castle was built by the first Lord Fortescue in the 18th century.

Havinden, M., 1974, Lime as a Means of Agricultural Improvement: The Devon Example, 129-130 (Article in Monograph). SDV351748.

During the landscaping of the grounds at Castle Hill in 1769/70 an old lime kiln was turned into a folly castle. A portcullis was added to the arch fronting the Meadow Park Wood.

Department of Environment, 1987, Filleigh, 37 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV89818.

Sham castle ruin and surrounding boundary retaining wall approx 260m north of Castle Hill House. Gothic style, built mid 18th century. Stone rubble with some brickwork to the parapet. Square tower with taller projecting corner turrets and lower flank walls. Pointed arched doorways. Symmetrical. Arched window openings, largely infilled. Four bullseyes above. The raised castle mound has a stone rubble retaining wall with buttresses at intervals and a sham pointed arched gateway to north side.

Goodwin, N. D., 1989, Sham Castle, Castle Hill (Worksheet). SDV89455.

Site visit 8th August 1989. Sham castle, built between 1729 and 1740. Part of the landscaping when the house was built. It comprises a square tower with extensions either side. There is a fireplace in the south-eastern corner of the eastern extension.
There is a gateway 13.2m to the north of the sham castle with remains of a bailey wall which surrounded the structure. The internal height of the gateway arch is 2.6m. The total height of gateway is 3m, the internal width of the gateway arch, 1.9m and the total width of the gateway, 3.7m.
The structures are built of dressed stone rubble. Other details: Slides

Colvin & Moggridge, 2000, Castle Hill Park Restoration Management Plan: Interim Report (Final), 23, Fig. 4 (Report - non-specific). SDV62545.

Work to stabilise this focal point by repointing and replacing a lintel under Castle Hill Park Countryside Stewardship Scheme of 2000.

Walls, S. + Wapshott, E. + Balmond, F., 2018, Land Adjacent to Filleigh Village Hall, Filleigh, North Devon, Devon. Results of a Historical Visual Impact Assessment, 33 (Report - Assessment). SDV362928.

An 18th century folly with a retaining stone wall forming a ha-ha. Sitting on top of Castle Hill the folly was designed as a central point on the estate. The site of the proposed development is visible but this is intended to look like an estate village and therefore similar in character to the existing houses. The view though will be different. The overall impact is considered to be neutral/slight.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

Square building marked as The Castle.

Historic England, 2024, National Heritage List for England, 1107540 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365835.

Sham Castle ruin and surrounding boundary retaining wall approximately 260 metres north of Castle Hill House.
Sham gothic castle ruin built as eyecatcher in landscape design to Castle Hill House. Mid C18. Stone rubble with some brickwork to the parapet. Square tower with taller projecting corner turrets and lower flank walls terminating in mock turrets. Symmetrical. Pointed arched doorways to each side of tower, that to front flanked by tall narrow pointed arched window openings, largely infilled. 4 bulls- eyes above. Flank walls each have 2 rectangular window openings with blind quatrefoil loops to the mock turrets at each end above smaller rectangular openings. The raised castle mound has a stone rubble retaining wall with buttresses at intervals and a sham pointed arched gateway to north side.
Date first listed: 20th February 1967

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV9142 - Historical visual impact assessment of a proposed development on land adjacent to Filleigh Village Hall, Filleigh

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