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It was built in 1100 in the typical motte and bailey style and is a perfect example of military architecture of its period, and one of the finest in England. The castle belonged to the Cardinhams in the 12th century, until Andrew de Cardinham's daughter married Thomas de Tracey, who owned the castle until 1264, after which it went to Simon de Montfort and to Henry III's brother, Richard of Cornwall. Richard died in 1271, and his son Edmond in 1300. It then became the property of the Duchy of Cornwall.
Restormel Castle is now in the care of English Heritage and is open to the public.
Its defences were perfect. The castle was built behind a 17 metre moat, upon slopes which were artificially steepened. These clearly acted as a powerful deterrent, for Restormel has seen action only once during its long history, when Charles I's forces drove out the Parliamentarian garrison during the Civil War.
In 1999 this site and other Cornish sites under the care of the English Heritage organisation were subject to criminal damage by members of the Cornish Stannary Parliament. English Heritage had been asked to remove all signs bearing the organisation's name from Cornish sites by July 1999 because they regarded the ancient sites as Cornish heritage, not English.
(Wikipedia)
