Lydford Castle
Lydford Castle near the village of Lydford in Devon is a twelfth-century tower castle that served as a prison and stannary court for the Devon tin-mining industry, one of the most feared and notorious places of incarceration in medieval England. The tower was built in 1195 as a fortified prison rather than a royal residence, and the harsh conditions and arbitrary justice dispensed here were so notorious that a popular contemporary rhyme spoke of Lydford Law, in which men were hanged first and judged afterwards. The tower is managed by English Heritage and freely accessible, set in the attractive village of Lydford on the western edge of Dartmoor. The village also contains the spectacular Lydford Gorge, managed by the National Trust, where the River Lyd has carved a dramatic narrow gorge with waterfalls and rock pools that provides one of the finest short walks in Devon.