Walls Come Tumbling Down...

In Devon and Cornwall for a week's holiday.

Day 1: Bus through Dartmoor which I couldn't really see on account of all the low fog putting visibility down to a few feet. Then on to Okehampton Castle in the afternoon - pictured here.

A good old Norman motte-and-bailey castle. What I love about these castles is that not only did the Normans select a hill for their castles, they also built another hill (the motte) on top of that hill! Only the first half of this mound is natural - the rest is man-made. See also nearby Totnes castle for another example.

Turner painted this as a romantic ruin. He probably thought the remnants of the keep were about to fall down. I reckon they'll be like this for a few more centuries yet.