The Largest Castle in Devon
Okehampton Castle, set in a steep wooded gorge above the East Okement river, is the largest castle ruin in Devon and one of the most dramatically sited medieval fortresses in the South West. Its origins lie immediately after the Norman Conquest — Baldwin de Brionne, Sheriff of Devon under William I, raised the original motte and bailey here around 1068 on a narrow rocky spur above the river.
Through the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the castle grew into a substantial stone fortification, with a great tower on the motte, an extensive lower ward, and a suite of domestic buildings that reflected the wealth of its later lords — principally the Courtenay Earls of Devon. By the fourteenth century, Okehampton was one of the great aristocratic households of the west, its great hall and kitchen block serving a major baronial establishment.
The castle's end came swiftly in 1538–39 when Henry Courtenay, Marquess of Exeter, was attainted and executed for alleged treasonous correspondence with Cardinal Pole. His properties, including Okehampton, were forfeited to the Crown. The castle was stripped and allowed to decay.
For Gaussian Splat reconstruction, the castle presents a formidable challenge: complex ruinous geometry set into steep hillside, with a wooded gorge below. The masonry is exceptional — rough coursed granite with centuries of weathering detail that photogrammetry captures beautifully. A revisit for the south face is planned on the next zero-wind window.