Powderham Castle

Powderham Castle stands on the west bank of the River Exe estuary, about six miles south of Exeter. Built in 1391 by Sir Philip Courtenay, it has remained the family home of the Courtenays, Earls of Devon, for more than six centuries. Unlike many historic houses that have passed into institutional ownership, it continues as a lived-in private residence while opening its doors and grounds to visitors.

The building began as a fortified medieval manor centred on a great hall. Successive generations adapted it through Tudor, Georgian and Victorian changes, yet much of the earlier structure remains visible. Inside, visitors can explore state rooms either on a guided tour or at their own pace.

Features include thick medieval walls, secret doors that pass through them, and later decorative schemes such as the rococo plasterwork of the staircase hall. The rooms hold collections of furniture, art and objects accumulated by the family over generations and linked to wider English history, from the Wars of the Roses and the Civil War to later periods.

Outside, the estate provides substantial space to walk. The Rose Terrace sits between the castle and the deer park, offering clear views across grassland where fallow deer graze. The American Garden, a seven-acre Georgian planting of specimen trees brought from early voyages to America, contains circular paths and a nineteenth-century pavilion.

Further out, a woodland route climbs to the Belvedere Tower, built in the 1770s, which gives wide views across the estuary towards the coast and back to Exeter.

The combination of an occupied historic house, layered architecture and open parkland beside the Exe makes Powderham a place where the continuous story of one family and the landscape around it can be experienced together.

The entrance is reached via Kenton, a short distance from the A379. For visitors exploring the wider area around Downton or travelling through Devon, it offers a full day that balances indoor history with outdoor space.