Liskeard Castle was a

motte-and-bailey castle A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy ...

in the town of

Liskeard Liskeard ( ; ) is an ancient stannary and market town in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Plymouth, west of the Devon border, and 12 miles (20 km) east of Bodmin. Th ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

. No extant remains survive of the castle. Liskeard Castle was built between 1230 and 1240 by

Richard of Cornwall Richard (5 January 1209 – 2 April 1272) was an English prince who was King of the Romans from 1257 until his death in 1272. He was the second son of John, King of England, and Isabella, Countess of Angoulême. Richard was nominal Count of ...

and the castle was in ruins by 1337. It was repaired on two occasions, between 1341–42 and in 1361. When being repaired in 1377, the castle was described as 'a certain manor-house surrounded by a wall'. Repairs needed during the reign of

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

(1377-1399) were neglected and by 1538 when visited by John Leland only a few insignificant remains were to be seen and the site was being used as a cattle pound.Oman, ''Sir'' Charles (1926) ''Castles''; "Cornwall and its castles", p. 109. London: Great Western Railway By the start of the 17th century it is assumed that only earthworks of the castle remained. Sir Richard Carew writing in 1602 concurred; The remaining earthworks of the castle were eventually flattened due to industry. The location of where the castle once stood is today known as Castle Park.

References

{{reflist Castles in Cornwall Motte-and-bailey castles Former castles in England Liskeard Former buildings and structures in Cornwall