Affeton Castle

Affeton Castle
Devon, England

Affeton Castle
Affeton Castle
Coordinates grid reference SS755136
Type Fortified manor house
Site information
Open to
the public		 No
Site history
Materials Grey rubble

Affeton Castle is a converted late-medieval gatehouse near East Worlington, Devon, England. It was formerly part of the destroyed fortified manor house of Affeton, situated on the side of a valley of the Little Dart River. Built in 1434, the surrounding house was destroyed in the English Civil War of the 1640s, and by the early 19th century the gatehouse was in ruins. It was restored between 1868-9 by Sir George Stucley, 1st Baronet for use as a shooting-box; in 1956, it was converted to form the private home of Sir Dennis Stucley, 5th Baronet. The castle, approximately 60 feet (18 m) by 22 feet (6.7 m) in size, is protected as a Grade II* listed building.[1]

History

For more details on the wider estate, see Manor of Affeton.

Originally Affeton Castle formed part of a large fortified manor house built from grey rubble stone by the Stucley family in about 1434.[2] The Stucley family acquired the Affeton estate when Hugh Stucley, Sheriff of Devon in 1448, married the heiress Catherine de Affeton.[3] It measures approximately 60 feet (18 m) by 22 feet (6.7 m). It formed a major part of the defences of the house,[4] and incorporates a tall arch, now partly filled in to form a smaller front door, through which persons and vehicles passed to gain access to the inner courtyard.

One of the manor house's most notable former residents was Sir Lewis Stucley (d.1620), a traitor in the Elizabethan age. The manor house was razed to the ground during the Civil War, having been sacked several times. The Stucley family was almost ruined during the Civil War for its adherence to the Royalist cause, and sold much of its landholdings, amounting to several thousand acres. Dennis Stucley died childless in 1755, and the property was passed to George II Buck (1731-1791), remaining in the Buck family through George Stucley Buck (1755-1791), George Pawley Buck (1782-1805) and Lewis William Buck (1784-1858).

Affeton Castle viewed from the public highway

A large farmhouse, then known as "Affeton Barton", was later built over the foundations and cellars of the fortified manor house, leaving the gatehouse the only surviving part of the original structure, and by the early 19th century this was a roofless ruin, described by J. Stucley as a "hollow shell filled with charred wood", with a tree growing from the top of the tower.[5] Part of the wall of the ancient circular staircase tower had at some time been removed to rescue a donkey which had become stuck within the stairway and had to be lowered to the ground by use of ropes.[5] The owners, who in the late-18th century resided alternately at Hartland Abbey, and Moreton House, still visited the estate occasionally for sporting purposes and to inspect the tenant farms, but had nowhere to stay other than to lodge with the farmer at Affeton Barton, although the family had resided for a time at Cobley Farm on the Affeton estate.

The gatehouse was restored in 1868-9 by Sir George Stucley, 1st Baronet (1812-1900) - originally called George Buck, until he became the first of the Stucley baronets - to create a shooting-box[6] for grouse shooting on nearby Affeton Moor within the estate. At around this time the building acquired its current name of "Affeton Castle".[7] The castle was inherited by Lt.-Col. Sir William Stucley (1836–1911), Sir Edward Stucley (1852–1927) and Sir Hugh Stucley, 4th Baronet (1873–1956), who lived at Moreton House.[8]

The 4th Baronet gave Affeton Castle to his son, Sir Dennis Stucley, 5th Baronet (1907–1983), in 1947.[9] In 1956, Moreton Hall was sold off, and Affeton Castle became the main private residence of the Stucley baronets.[10] Sir Dennis installed two bathrooms in the castle, where previously there were none.[11] Sir Hugh Stucley, 6th Baronet (born 1945), lives in the castle in the 21st century, which is not open to the public, unlike the family's other larger residence at Hartland Abbey.[12] He has added an extension housing a nursery wing and additional bedrooms.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Askerton Castle, East Worlington, Gatehouse website, accessed 23 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Emery, p.486; Pettifer, p.53.
  3. ↑ Vivian, p.721
  4. ↑ Emery, pp.486-7
  5. 1 2 Stucley, date unknown, page unknown
  6. ↑ Stucley, date unknown, page unknown; Stucley, 1976, no page given
  7. ↑ Stucley, date unknown, page unknown: "The house was never known as a Castle before my grandfather, (i.e. the 1st baronet) on changing his name to Stucley, decided to reconstruct the gatehouse and use it as a shooting-box"; Date corrected from 1850 to 1868 in Stucley, 1976, no page given
  8. ↑ Lauder, pp.148-149
  9. ↑ Stucley, 1976
  10. ↑ Lauder, p.149
  11. 1 2 Stucley, 1976, no page given
  12. ↑ Lauder, p.149; Stucley, 1976

Bibliography

Coordinates: 50°54′30″N 3°46′20″W / 50.9084°N 3.7722°W / 50.9084; -3.7722

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