Berry Pomeroy
| Berry Pomeroy | |
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 Berry Pomeroy Church |
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 Berry Pomeroy
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| Berry Pomeroy shown within Devon | |
| Population | 973 (2001) |
| OS grid reference | SX828612 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TOTNES |
| Postcode district | TQ9 |
| Dialling code | 01803 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Berry Pomeroy is a village, civil parish and former manor in the former hundred of Haytor, today within South Hams district of Devon, England, about two miles east of Totnes. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 973.
Berry Pomeroy was the caput of a large feudal barony whose holder is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ralph de Pomeroy, who held in total within Devon 54 manors, three smaller parcels of land and six houses in Exeter, capital of Devon. It was one of only eight feudal baronies in Devon. The family retained the barony until 1547. It comprised almost 32 knight's fees in the Cartae Baronum of 1166. The family came from La Pommeraye, Calvados, near Falaise in Normandy.
Berry Pomeroy Castle, about one mile north-east of the village, was built as the home of the de la Pomeray family in the late 15th century. On 1 December 1547 Sir Thomas Pomeroy (d.1566) sold the castle, park and manor of Berry Pomeroy, with other lands, to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset. The duke gave it to his eldest son from his first marriage, Sir Edward Seymour henceforth known as "of Berry Pomeroy" to distinguish him from the duke's other three sons also named Edward. The duke's second wife later persuaded him to exclude by entail the children of his first marriage from inheriting his main estates. However, on the expiry of the line of descent from this second marriage, the Berry Pomeroy line inherited the Dukedom of Somerset, in the person of Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset. The Castle was abandoned by the Seymour family in the late 17th century and was later considered a 'romantic ruin' by the Victorians. It is still owned by the Duke of Somerset, but is now maintained by English Heritage. The castle has often been cited as being the most haunted castle in Britain, and has appeared in a BBC Timewatch documentary "White Slaves and Pirate Gold", and the British television show Most Haunted.
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Wikipedia