Compton Castle
In south Devon lies Compton Castle, a 14th century fortified manor house that was the home of the Gilbert family for over 600 years. They still live there, although today the place is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It features original medieval defences and impressive period gardens.
Compton Castle tells the story of Elizabethan explorer Humphrey Gilbert. In 1583 he was granted a royal charter to establish Newfoundland as England’s first colony. It was an inauspicious beginning for the future British Empire. 300 years later, it encompassed a quarter of the world’s land mass and a quarter of the world’s population.
Although there was no initial settlement at Newfoundland, an important trade route was established for a new food source into England, cod. The charter was subsequently presented to Gilbert’s more famous half-brother Sir Walter Raleigh who commissioned forays into what was to become Virginia. And it was he who is traditionally credited with bringing the potato to England. So between them, Humphrey and Walter could be said to have introduced that most iconic of British dishes, fish and chips. Why not enjoy some after your visit to Compton, at the nearby popular seaside resort of Paignton?
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