Heritage Open Day at Hemyock Castle

Pre-Booked Self-Guided Tours, Outdoors Only: See the rare surviving ruins of Hemyock’s moated medieval castle: The remaining gatehouse archway, towers & curtain-walls which surround the older manor house. Cider-Press & Farmyard displays.

Pre-Booked Self-Guided Tours, outdoors only, due to Covid. Up to ten bookings per hour, one-way route.
Special “Quieter hour” for vulnerable visitors: 1-2pm

– Guide leaflet PDF as free download: https://www.hemyockcastle.uk/visitor.html
– Guidebook available from Amazon in Kindle format (free Kindle apps available for most devices)
– Printed guidebook £2.00 (cash only) from Hemyock Castle

Hemyock Castle was built in 1380, to fortify an older manor house. It was “slighted” (destroyed) during the English Civil War period in the 1640s, after two brutal sieges. Some buildings were later adapted for farm or residential use, but most of the ruins were not “restored” by later owners, so they date from the original castle defences.

A large part of the Eastern gatehouse archway remains, together with parts of some towers, curtain-walls & moat. See also the ancient cider-press & farmyard displays. The manor house & some other buildings are private homes; not open to visitors.

Our YouTube “playlist” https://bit.ly/2345tre has tour videos which can be viewed separately or together:
– Towers, Walls & Moat: See much of the castle site, remains of the gatehouse, towers, walls & moat
– The Interpretation Centre, with its life-sized tableau & stories
– Rarely seen historic features of the manor house
– Hidden Nature of this “oasis” in the heart of Hemyock
– Castle Farm Cider making, including the large 19C wooden apple-mill & 18C cider-press
– Rural life & farming at Castle Farm

Event Times

Sunday 12 September: Bookings: 1300*,1400, 1500, 1600

Booking Details

Pre-booking: Required
Due to Covid, pre-booked visits only, approx 10 each hour. Also, contact details required on entry. *Note: Special “Quieter hour” for vulnerable visitors, 1-2pm
Booking Contact: Dr Margaret Sheppard
Email: admin3@hemyockcastle.uk
Booking opens: 1 June 2021 09:00
Booking closes: 11 September 2021 17:00

Access

The online videos will be delivered via the free YouTube service. They can be viewed without needing any special software, a YouTube account, or having to log in. They can be viewed using a PC / Mac, tablet, smartphone, or smart TV etc. “Subscribing” (a free process) to our YouTube channel will produce automatic reminders and make it easier to find the videos; particularly on a smart TV. Asking questions directly, requires a free YouTube account. Nb. Use the free “YouTube app” NOT the paid “YouTube TV app” which is for viewing commercial programs. Special short URL: bit.ly/2345tre

COVID-19 Considerations

This limited event will run in line with local & national government guidelines at the time of the festival. This event will be outdoors only, with numbers controlled by pre-booking. One-way system. No need to touch anything. Visitors should bring their own hand sanitizer & pen etc. Please ensure that all visitors, including children, maintain social distancing. Covid regulation are likely to require that all visitors supply their contact details on entry (please bring a pen). We will use these details only for that purpose, and destroy them securely after the designated time (currently 21 days).

Additional Information

Max 10 people per tour/session. 1 hour, max Tips for users of smart TVs (see our website for more details): Tip 1. If possible, locate our YouTube videos using a smartphone, PC / Mac or tablet. Then “add these to your YouTube watch list”: If the YouTube app on your TV uses the same YouTube account, it will show your “watch list.” Tip 2. “Casting” to a TV: Some TVs allow the user to find a YouTube video using their PC or smartphone, then “cast” this to appear on the TV. Tip 3. Searching using TV’s YouTube app: Search for “hemyock castle”
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn0QIXeXyqNEsYuVFEcRC0K-ZgTyhBfBp&ref=0

Enter from Culmstock Road, through iron gates. Onsite parking is only for pre-booked disabled spaces. Other visitors, please use on-street parking or the village carpark near the Baptist Church

Organised by

Hemyock Castle, Devon