What is recorded here

Heywood Castle is a well-preserved Norman motte and bailey in Mid Devon, built during the reign of William II to replace Eggesford Castle. Its sunken motte rises beside a horse-shoe bailey defended by rock-cut ditches, overlooking the Taw valley. The site remains exceptional because forestry tracks avoid most of its earthworks, preserving the shape of a castle that may have answered civil-war tension rather than foreign invasion.

The National Heritage List for England records Heywood Castle as a scheduled monument. The saved point comes from the centre supplied by the official record. Listing does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Heywood Castle was built in the 13th century by the de Trafford family, a prominent local landowning family in the Manchester area. It is remembered as an important medieval stronghold and is now a scheduled monument, reflecting its historical and archaeological significance.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.