places to go/ nearest castle/stone monolith or circle

[Burro Mike]

Thanks for all that information. much appreciated. To be quite honest I don't think we'll be seeing much in the way of castles or circles, because we are traveling by train.  

Peace, MIke  
  
----- Original Message -----
From: Jill Strobridge
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 4:13 PM
To: BOC-L at LISTSERV.SPC.EDU
Subject: HW: RE: places to go/ nearest castle/stone monolith or circle
  
----- Original Message -----
> From: Burro Mike <sloterdijk at MSN.COM>
>
> Hi all..My fiancé really wants to see a castle..Anyone know where the
nearest one to the site would be? > Also stone monolith or circle?
>
> Peace, Mike
http://theoneeyedbishops.iuma.com
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Now here's an interesting question!   Castles in Devon are a bit few and
far between - you really need to go somwhere people were fighting each
other on a regular basis - Scotland, Wales.  My tourist map of Devon
suggests Dartmouth Castle (about 25 miles S of Exeter along the coast)
"a beautiful 15th century castle spectacturaly set beside the Dart
Estuary" is worth a visit.   However Sherborne in Dorset is probably the
place to aim for.   It's sort-of on the way (on the A30) if you detour a
bit coming south from Bristol and has two castles.   Sherborne Castle
was built by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594 and Sherborne Old Castle was
once owned by Sir Walter Raleigh.   Cromwell took 16 days to capture it
and reduced it to ruins.

The best Devon stone circles (an maybe the only ones?) are all to be
found on Dartmoor which is a wonderful place to visit but perhaps a bit
out of the way for you?   The best thing would be to visit Stonehenge in
Wiltshire.  An even better plan if you are travelling towards Devon by
car is to go through the Avebury complex of monuments first (about 15
miles S of Swindon).  Here is the magnificent West Kennet Neolithic
longbarrow, Avebury Henge surrounding an entire village, and Silbury
Hill (a massive artificial burial mound).  Then head south to Stonebenge
and another burial monument cluster and then west through Shaftesbury
(alternative castle here: 14th century "unusual hexagonal rins") or
Sherborne before turning south towards Axminster and Exeter and the
coast.

I am also delighted to discover that there is an Iron Age hillfort
nearby which I definitely plan to visit.

cheers
jill
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Jill Strobridge <jill at theta-orionis.freeserve.co.uk>
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