History on our doorstep

From hillforts and castles to military fortresses and abandoned medieval villages, Devon has a treasure trove of historic sites and nothing beats visiting them in person, says CATHERINE COURTENAY

-  CATHERINE COURTENAY

Berry Pomeroy Castle. As a child, it was a place name I never forgot. It was after all the most haunted castle in England, a fact that was confirmed by my mother, so as far as I was concerned it must be true. She’d been there, and never forgotten its creepy atmosphere; not that she talked about it much, which is why I made a note to visit one day.

Ghost stories have the power to stimulate imaginations, but actually standing on the site where ‘things have happened’ takes it to a whole new level. You can read about it, see a photo or watch a film, but being on location allows for the true multi-sensory experience. The roughness of stone walls, well-worn steps leading to ruined rooms, standing at the foot of a tower with its dark walls now open to the skies; all the while imagining what it was like for the people who lived in these places, piecing together traces of now silent rooms that must have been filled with people, noise and smells.

Some of the historic sites in Devon are cared for by the charity English Heritage, which looks after around 400 historic monuments, buildings and places; when woven together they create a rich tapestry of life in England stretching from prehistoric to modern times.