Dartmouth Castle

LoginSave

Discover maze-like passages, atmospheric guardrooms and great views from the battlements of this picturesque castle. The best way to arrive is via the tiny, open-top Castle Ferry, or walk or drive along the coast road from Dartmouth (1.5 miles).

The castle started life in the 14th century to protect the harbour from seaborne raids. It was commissioned by Dartmouth’s privateering mayor, John Hawley – said to be the inspiration for the ‘Shipman’ in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The fortification saw additions in the 15th century, the Victorian era and WWII. Today its passages, guardrooms and battlements provide an evocative insight into life inside; there’s also an audiovisual re-creation of a Victorian gun drill.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Sharpham Wine & Cheese

    Sharpham Wine & Cheese

    6.04 MILES

    Three miles south of Totnes off the A381, this renowned vineyard is chiefly known for its crisp, sparkling white wines, as well as its delicious cheeses…

  • x-default

    Exeter Cathedral

    26.37 MILES

    Magnificent in warm, honey-coloured stone, Exeter's cathedral is one of Devon’s most impressive ecclesiastical sights. Dating largely from the 12th and…

  • Greenway, House of Agatha Christie, Galmpton, Devon - stock photo South-West England, Great Britain

    Greenway

    2.95 MILES

    High on Devon’s must-see list, the captivating summer home of crime writer Agatha Christie sits beside the placid River Dart. Part-guided tours allow you…

  • Fishing vessels and terraces of Pubs and restaurants, Barbican, Old harbour, Plymouth, Devon - stock photo

    Barbican

    25.18 MILES

    For a glimpse of ancient Plymouth, head down to this historic harbour area, where part-cobbled streets are lined with Tudor and Jacobean buildings, and…

  • 21 June 2017: Exeter, Devon, England, UK - Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Queen Street, Exeter. Albert Memorial Museum Exeter UK - stock photo RAMM

    RAMM

    26.53 MILES

    A fixture on the city's cultural scene since Victorian times, this hulking red-brick museum recently received a £24 million revamp. It's a treasure trove…

  • PLYMOUTH, DEVON, UK - January 25 2020: Plymouth Gin Black Friars distillery entrance on Southside Street Plymouth Gin Distillery

    Plymouth Gin Distillery

    25.36 MILES

    This heavily beamed distillery has been concocting gin since 1793, making it the oldest working producer of the spirit in England. Four to six tours per…

  • Plymouth, Devon, UK - August 3rd 2019: National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK. Bright sunny day, day time photo.

    National Marine Aquarium

    25.06 MILES

    The UK's biggest – and perhaps best – aquarium is lodged beside the Barbican harbour. There's a huge amount to see, but the highlight is the impressive…

  • TYFKFC Family including children / kid / kids and young girl follow a group trip around Exeter's underground passages and tunnels, interesting destination for family tour of these ancient cut and cover tunnel network. UK (109)

    Underground Passages

    26.56 MILES

    Prepare to crouch down, don a hard hat and possibly get spooked in what is the only publicly accessible system of its kind in England. These medieval…

View more attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Bayard's Cove

0.7 MILES

It's worth tracking down Dartmouth's quaintly cobbled Bayard's Cove, the quay from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail to America, having put into…

2. Dartmouth Museum

0.89 MILES

An eclectic collection of costumes, swords, ships in bottles and vintage toys, plus evocative WWII exhibits explaining how the area was a mustering point…

3. Butterwalk

0.9 MILES

Dartmouth's Butterwalk is a row of ancient timber-framed buildings that lean at an improbable angle. Despite looking as though they could collapse at any…

4. Britannia Royal Naval College

1.27 MILES

The imposing building crowning the hills above Dartmouth was built in 1905 and is where the Royal Navy still trains all its officers. Guides lead you…

5. Coleton Fishacre

1.44 MILES

For an evocative glimpse of jazz-age glamour, drop by the former home of the D'Oyly Carte family of theatre impresarios. Built in the 1920s, its faultless…

6. Greenway

2.95 MILES

High on Devon’s must-see list, the captivating summer home of crime writer Agatha Christie sits beside the placid River Dart. Part-guided tours allow you…

7. Brixham Heritage Museum

4.21 MILES

An eclectic collection of exhibits explores the town's salty history, majoring in sailboats, smuggling, shipbuilding and sea rescues. There are…

8. Golden Hind

4.44 MILES

Devon-born explorer Sir Francis Drake carried out a treasure-seeking circumnavigation of the globe aboard the Golden Hind in the late 1500s. This full…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "england/southwest-england/dartmouth/attractions/dartmouth-castle/a/poi-sig/1019764/359010",
  "position": "superzone"
}