345:
369:
381:
357:
155:
31:
239:
519:
162:
326:, Cambridgeshire and his wife. The price paid for the castle and 60 acres (24 ha) was £50,000. The castle was turned into an amusement centre, which was run by the Haines family (specifically Richard's sons Antonie and Jonathan) until 2023, when the owners of Hobbledown "The Escapade Group" took over the park.
301:
In 1908, the castle was inherited by their daughter Edith
Bassett Bassett (1862–1943) (born Edith Basset Williams), married to Captain Ernest Charles Penn Curzon (1856–1938). During World War I she started to sell off the ancient Basset lands. Watermouth Castle had been used as a military hospital
270:
was possessed by the
Bassett family. After his mother became the sole heiress of her childless brother Francis Basset (died 1802), Joseph Davie adopted the name Bassett in lieu of his patronymic and adopted the Bassett armorials. He sold Orleigh in 1807 and built Watermouth Castle as his principal
334:
The castle is a tourist attraction open to the public by admission charge. Within the Castle, areas include Castle
Treasure, Dungeon Labyrinths and The Watershow Extravaganza. Its grounds feature nine rides spread across themed areas known as Adventure Land, Merry go Land and Gnome Land.
278:
visited
Watermouth, before the construction of the Georgian castle, as part of his travels in 1796, and was entertained by Mr Davie. He painted the Palladian house then standing on the site and recorded the visit in his journal.
286:, by whom he had his eldest surviving son Reverend Arthur Crawfurth Davie Bassett (1830–1880), who was unmarried and died at Watermouth Castle. His heir was his sister Harriet Mary Bassett, the wife of
282:
Joseph
Bassett's eldest son and heir was Arthur Davie Bassett (1801–1870), who died in a horse-riding accident. He married Harriet Sarah Crawfurth, daughter of Thomas Smith Crawfurth of
564:
344:
554:
380:
302:
during World War I, and in the 1920s she started to sell the
Berrynarbor farms and cottages. In 1942 she sold most of the contents of Watermouth Castle.
368:
314:(1932–1983), a Conservative MP for Dorking South and businessman. He was killed in a light aircraft crash near Shoreham Airport in 1983.
569:
420:
61:
544:
154:
574:
415:
246:) Davie Esq." The Palladian house at Watermouth in 1796, built by Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl of Clinton (1696–1751), as drawn by
523:
356:
310:
The castle passed through the hands of many short-term owners and property speculators but was at last purchased by
559:
549:
455:
Heanton
Punchardon Church burials file displayed in church. Charles Davie was buried (died 1836, aged 76) there.
287:
487:
263:
411:
195:
104:
30:
254:
The castle was built by Joseph Davie
Bassett (1764–1846), son of John Davie (died 1793) of
311:
259:
203:
116:
475:
Travels in
Georgian Devon: The Illustrated Journals of the Reverend John Swete, 1789–1800
323:
442:
266:. His brother was Rev. Charles Davie (1760–1836), rector of Heanton Punchardon, which
238:
538:
291:
255:
218:
416:"Watermouth Castle, including front – retaining wall and rear courtyard (1168686)"
202:
but a country house built to resemble one. It has been designated as a Grade II*
198:
as a residence for the
Bassett family in the mid-19th century and is not a true
322:
Watermouth Castle was purchased from Wickenden in 1977 by Richard L. Haines of
295:
275:
247:
222:
214:
210:
187:
183:
44:
76:
63:
283:
518:
267:
199:
221:
antiques centred on domestic tools and amusement machines, a family
529:
237:
191:
48:
225:
and holiday apartments. The Bassetts left the castle in 1945.
271:
residence. He married Mary Irwin (1777–1862) of Barnstaple.
250:, before demolition and replacement by Watermouth Castle
386:
The castle viewed from the slipway of Watermouth Cove
132:
124:
114:
100:
92:
55:
40:
23:
374:Watermouth Cove, viewed from beneath the castle
262:and his wife Eleanora Basset of Heanton Court,
504:Obituary in Accountancy Magazine, August 1983
464:Rogers, W.H. Buckland Brewer, 1938, pp. 52–53
8:
217:, Devon, the castle houses a collection of
29:
20:
161:
565:Amusement museums in the United Kingdom
473:Gray, Todd & Rowe, Margery (Eds.),
400:
340:
209:Located near the shore of the inlet of
35:Watermouth Castle, two principal fronts
169:Location of Watermouth Castle in Devon
406:
404:
131:
123:
113:
7:
555:Grade II* listed buildings in Devon
477:, vol. 3, Tiverton, 1999, pp. 86–88
530:Watermouth Castle official website
421:National Heritage List for England
290:(1834–1908), MP, of Pilton House,
14:
517:
379:
367:
355:
343:
160:
153:
18:Historic site in Devon, England
1:
591:
570:Amusement parks in England
148:
144:
140:
110:
28:
545:Houses completed in 1825
575:Mock castles in England
194:, England, designed by
288:Charles Henry Williams
274:The Devon topographer
251:
242:"Watermouth seat of (
241:
526:at Wikimedia Commons
229:Descent of ownership
77:51.21333°N 4.08028°W
488:"Watermouth Castle"
73: /
264:Heanton Punchardon
252:
133:Reference no.
82:51.21333; -4.08028
524:Watermouth Castle
522:Media related to
492:devonheritage.org
182:is a building in
180:Watermouth Castle
177:
176:
24:Watermouth Castle
582:
560:Museums in Devon
550:Castles in Devon
521:
505:
502:
496:
495:
484:
478:
471:
465:
462:
456:
453:
447:
446:
439:
433:
432:
430:
428:
412:Historic England
408:
383:
371:
359:
347:
196:George Wightwick
164:
163:
157:
105:George Wightwick
88:
87:
85:
84:
83:
78:
74:
71:
70:
69:
66:
33:
21:
590:
589:
585:
584:
583:
581:
580:
579:
535:
534:
514:
509:
508:
503:
499:
486:
485:
481:
472:
468:
463:
459:
454:
450:
441:
440:
436:
426:
424:
410:
409:
402:
397:
392:
391:
390:
387:
384:
375:
372:
363:
360:
351:
348:
332:
320:
312:Keith Wickenden
308:
276:Rev. John Swete
260:Buckland Brewer
248:Rev. John Swete
236:
231:
204:listed building
173:
172:
171:
170:
167:
166:
165:
120:
117:Listed Building
81:
79:
75:
72:
67:
64:
62:
60:
59:
36:
19:
12:
11:
5:
588:
586:
578:
577:
572:
567:
562:
557:
552:
547:
537:
536:
533:
532:
527:
513:
512:External links
510:
507:
506:
497:
479:
466:
457:
448:
434:
399:
398:
396:
393:
389:
388:
385:
378:
376:
373:
366:
364:
362:Entrance front
361:
354:
352:
350:Bay and castle
349:
342:
339:
338:
337:
331:
328:
324:Market Deeping
319:
316:
307:
304:
235:
232:
230:
227:
175:
174:
168:
159:
158:
152:
151:
150:
149:
146:
145:
142:
141:
138:
137:
134:
130:
129:
126:
122:
121:
115:
112:
111:
108:
107:
102:
98:
97:
94:
90:
89:
57:
53:
52:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
587:
576:
573:
571:
568:
566:
563:
561:
558:
556:
553:
551:
548:
546:
543:
542:
540:
531:
528:
525:
520:
516:
515:
511:
501:
498:
493:
489:
483:
480:
476:
470:
467:
461:
458:
452:
449:
444:
438:
435:
423:
422:
417:
413:
407:
405:
401:
394:
382:
377:
370:
365:
358:
353:
346:
341:
336:
329:
327:
325:
317:
315:
313:
305:
303:
299:
297:
293:
289:
285:
280:
277:
272:
269:
265:
261:
257:
256:Orleigh Court
249:
245:
240:
233:
228:
226:
224:
220:
216:
212:
207:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
156:
147:
143:
139:
135:
127:
118:
109:
106:
103:
99:
95:
91:
86:
58:
54:
50:
46:
43:
39:
32:
27:
22:
16:
500:
491:
482:
474:
469:
460:
451:
437:
425:. Retrieved
419:
333:
321:
309:
300:
281:
273:
253:
243:
208:
179:
178:
128:9 March 1953
15:
330:Current use
119:– Grade II*
80: /
56:Coordinates
539:Categories
395:References
296:Barnstaple
223:theme park
215:Ilfracombe
211:Watermouth
188:Ilfracombe
184:Watermouth
125:Designated
65:51°12′48″N
45:Watermouth
443:"Picture"
306:Wickenden
284:Dulverton
219:Victorian
101:Architect
68:4°04′49″W
51:, England
427:6 August
268:advowson
190:, North
41:Location
294:, near
234:Bassett
213:, near
186:, near
136:1168686
318:Haines
292:Pilton
200:castle
244:blank
192:Devon
93:Built
49:Devon
429:2009
96:1825
541::
490:.
418:.
414:.
403:^
298:.
258:,
206:.
47:,
494:.
445:.
431:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
