Rougemont Castle, Exeter, Devonshire (1784)

Grose, Francis. Antiquities of England and Wales. London: S. Hooper, 1785. Vol. II. pp. 66-70.ROUGEMONT CASTLE, EXETER.On the highest part of the hill on which this city is built, and on the N. E. extremity, stands the remains of the castle of Rougemont, so called from the redness of the soil. Grafton, in his Chronicle, says, it was the work of Julius Caesar; afterwards the seat of several Saxon kings, and since of the dukes of Cornwall. Within the castle walls a chapel was built by the lady Eliz. de Fortibus, countess of Devon, who endowed it with lands, called the prebends of Hayes and Catton, for the payment of certain weekly services therein to be performed. This town and castle held out some time against the Conqueror; but a part of the wall falling down, it was surrendered at discretion. William contented himself with only altering the gates of the castle, as a mark of its being subdued; at the same time he either rebuilt or much repaired the whole edifice, and bestowed it on Baldwin de Brioni, husband of Albreda, his niece, whose descendants by the female line enjoyed it, together with the office of the sheriff of Devon, which seems to have been annexed to it, till 14 Hen. III. anno 1230; when that prince resuming into his own hands sundry castles and forts in this realm, dispossessed Rob. de Courtney, in whose family it had been for three descents.In the reign of Hen. IV. John Holland duke of Exeter, had a fine mansion within the castle, of which no traces are remaining.Anno 1483, the city being visited by K. Rich. III. he was, during his stay, nobly entertained by the corporation. On seeing this castle, he commended it highly, both for the strength and beauty of its situation; but hearing it was named Rougemont, which, from the similarity of the sound, mistaken it for Richmond, he suddenly grew sad; saying, that the end of his days approached; a prophecy having declared he should not long survive the fight of Richmond. In the year 1588, at the Lent assizes held here, an infectious distemper, brought by some Portuguese prisoners of war, confined the castle, destroyed sir John Chichester, the judge; 8 justices; 11 out of the 12 impannelled jurors; with divers other persons assembled on this occasion. During the civil wars, the town was several times besieged and taken by both parties; but there is no account of any particular defence or capitulation made by this castle. In the year 1655, John Penruddock and Hugh Grove, both Wiltshire gentlemen, having joined in an unsuccessful attempt in favour of Cha. II. were here beheaded, when many of inferior rank were hanged at Heavitree gallows.The ruin here represented, which is the entrance into the castle-yard, was part of the exterior walls or outworks; these enclose a considerable space, in shape somewhat like a rhombus, with its angles rounded off; they were defended by four towers, two on the west, and two on the east side. From this spot towards Exmouth is a delightful prospect.[Text may be taken from a different source or edition than that listed as the source by Somers Cocks.]

Copper l.engr

105x152mm

S008. GROSE, Francis: ANTIQUITIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES.

Later state of SC0768, originally issued 1772