Barnstaple Castle Barnstaple Castle Barnstaple Castle stood near what is now the centre of the town of Barnstaple, Devon (). When it was built, it was on the western side of the fortified town and commanded a good view of both the town and its important river crossings. A wooden castle was built by Geoffrey de Mowbray, Bishop of Coutances in the 11th century, clearing houses to make room for it. Juhel of Totnes (Judhael) later lived in the castle and established a priory just outside its walls. The castle's first stone buildings were probably erected by Henry de Tracey, a strong
Barnstaple RFC players for England - Charlies Harper and Charles Thomas. During the 1896-97 season Barnstaple were crowned 'Champions of the West' and claimed notable victories against the likes of Llanelli and Saracens. In 1921 Barnstaple moved from Rumsum to the clubs present Pottington Road Ground at Pottington Road. With the advent of the leagues in 1987, Barnstaple found themselves placed at tier 6 of the English rugby union league system in what was then known as South West 2. By the mid-1990s the club had achieved promotion to South West 1 where they would remain for over a decade. During this