Affeton Castle, East Worlington (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Affeton Barton; Aston; Afferton; Afton

In the civil parish of East Worlington.
In the historic county of Devonshire.
Modern Authority of Devon.
1974 county of Devon.
Medieval County of Devon.

OS Map Grid Reference: SS75541368
Latitude 50.90928° Longitude -3.77175°

Affeton Castle, East Worlington has been described as a probable Fortified Manor House.

There are major building remains.

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*.

Description

King writes this is a Tudor gatehouse not a castle. Salter and Pettifer say Tudor gate is most prominent remains of C15 house which may have had slight defences.

Gatehouse to former manor house, the latter now demolished except for a range of outbuildings. C15, sacked 3 times during the Civil War, restored 1868 and later in C19, and some C20 work. Coursed and squared local rubble, freestone dressings; flat lead-sheeting roof; tall renewed stone stacks. Plan: square on plan with an archway through, now blocked; restored in Neo-medieval style. Exterior: principal entrance front to west, 2 storeys, 2 windows, 2-light stone- mullioned casements, each light with a cinque-foiled head, one window on the left of the first floor with a transom. Depressed arch head to a central archway, moulded surround, now blocked with small narrow C19 doorway, plank door, ornamental strap hinges, sidelights. All opening with labels, carved stops. Three 2-stage buttresses; embattled parapet. Right return with a shallow garderobe turret 2- storeyed, pent stone roof. Elevation to the east with further mullioned windows; 3- storeyed stair-turret, 4 lancets and a quatrefoil window, on ground floor an elaborate narrow door opening with a pointed-arch head moulded in 2 orders, fleurons to spandrels, imposts, label with large floral stops, C19 plank door with ornamental hinges. Addition of 1868 to the north, formerly a coach-house, now incorporated as a dwelling, on main entrance front 9- and 16-pane sash windows, front-facing gable with achievement and bellcote, bell missing. Interior of the gatehouse completely refitted during the C19 restoration; stone newel staircase to the stair-turret, and a moulded door surround off this staircase, at first floor level, appear to be the only early features remaining; good C19 work including a panelled room with Jacobethan fireplace. (Listed Building Report)

Affeton Castle is a restored 15th century gate-tower. The castellated building to which it gave entrance was probably erected by the Affetons in the 13th or 14th cent. and was a fortified manor house rather than a true castle. (PastScape – ref. Hoskins)

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1325448
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 34916.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 12150.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Wikipedia entry
  Devon Perspectives
Books
- Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 3 Southern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 486-7
  Salter, Mike, 1999, The Castles of Devon and Cornwall (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 87 (slight)
  Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 53
  Pevsner, Nikolaus and Cherry, Bridget, 1989, Buildings of England: Devon (Harmondsworth) p. 904
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 121 (reject)
  Hoskins, W.G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon (London: Collins) p. 519
  Pevsner N., 1952, Buildings of England: North Devon p. 38
  Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 2 p. 21 online copy
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 350 (as Alston) online copy
  Lysons, D. and S., 1822, Magna Britannia Vol. 6 Devon p. cccxlv-cccxlviii online transcription
Periodical Articles
- Haslam, R., 1983 Sept, Country Life

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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