English Heritage

Totnes is a classic Norman motte-and-bailey castle, raised soon after the Conquest at the highest point of the hilltop town of Totnes. 

Climb Totnes Castle’s unusually high and steep-sided motte mound to the later stone shell-keep which rings the summit. Mount the steps to the wall-walk and look out for the 30-odd ‘crenellations’ of the battlements, most of them pierced with slots for the defenders’ crossbows.

You’ll get sweeping views over the rooftops of Totnes, with the river Dart and Dartmoor beyond. Directly below the mound is the castle’s now-wooded inner enclosure, whose walls climb the sides of the motte: it’s a great place for family picnics.