More information : (SJ 49451285) Castle (NR) (AD 1068) (NAT)
(SJ 49491286) Postern (NR)
(SJ 49441288) Keep (NR)
(SJ 49481281) Watch Tower (NR) (1)
Ordericus Vitalis speaks of a King's Castle at Shrewsbury in 1068, and Forrest suggests that this was actually begun by William the Conqueror, and completed by Roger de Montgomery (the first Norman Earl of Shrewsbury), 1070-83. No trace of this first castle remains, says Forrest, but the stone face-walls of the mound. (2).
VCH lists the early castle as `Mount with one or more attached courts' (Class E). An artificial oval mount, 35ft high, the scarp of which merges into the scarp of the hill on the east. The top of the hill provides the bailey, around which a large portion of the low vallum remains supporting the foundation of the wall constructed by Roger de Montgomery. (3)
Edward I, built a castle here about 1300, with a great hall (2). This had a low basement for stores, and a three-storey tower at each end. The outer walls were over 8' thick, and the inner walls ca.5.5' thick. In the time of Elizabeth, the roofs and floors had gone and only the walls were left standing.
In 1642, when used as a fortress during the Civil War, the Great Hall's walls were raised to 10ft, it was refloored, and a new floor was inserted, forming an upper storey. The main tower and gateway giving access to the river east of the main building were built in 1642. (2)
Considerable alterations were made about 1790 by Telford who built the watch tower known as Laura's Tower (SJ 41 SE 250) (2) Restorations were also made in 1926 by Sir Charles Nicholson. (4-5)
Extant remains:
a) Keep or Great Hall with low basement for stores and a three-storey tower at each end built c. 1300. The outer walls were over 8ft thick and the inner c. 5.5ft. Restored in 1642 with a new inserted floor forming an upper storey and new stone mullioned and transomed square windows. (2)
The hall is a rectangular structure of several dates with two circular towers at the outer angles. Medieval details recut and modernized point to a date near 1300 (6)
(See GP AO/60/233/5.) (7)
b) Postern or watergate giving access to the river on the east side of the castle was built in 1642 (2)
The Postern is a rectangular building 2 storeys high with a three-light mullioned window and a rounded arch (See GP AO/60/233/6) (7)
c) Main gateway or entrance arch is probably 12th century although repaired (2)(6) (See GP AO/60/233/7)
d) Bailey wall is probably 12th c., as is the main gateway, although both have been repaired. The base of the wall enclosing the
summit of the motte on the side towards the bailey is of the same type.
The walling of the outer bailey probably dates from 1223. The substantial stretch of ashlar with a chamfered plinth on the North side of Water Lane represents the south side of the outer bailey. The position of the west side of the bailey is uncertain.
An annotated resurvey of the castle has been made.(7)
SJ 494 128. Shrewsbury Castle. Scheduled. (8)
Listed by Cathcart King. (9)
Remains of castle. Largely late C12-c1300, with various later modifications. Mostly red sandstone.
PLAN: inner bailey wall, gateway and main hall survive. Curtain wall surrounds the inner bailey, built of coursed and squared red sandstone in several phases between 1164 and 1300. Walkway and crenellations survive in part. Gateway also late C12, with roll moulded outer archway with C17 wood panelled doors. Main hall in NW of bailey: begun in 1164 and enlarged 1300 and 1596. Grade I. (10)
Constucted before 1086 when 51 properties were demolished to make room for the castle. At that time it was the property of Roger of Montgomery, earl of Shrewsbury, but with the fall of his son, Robert of Belleme in 1102, it passed to the Crown and remained so until the 16th century. Only in 1138, when the sheriff joined the King's enemies, in 1215 when Llewellyn captured both town and castle, and during the Barons wars of Edward III, was the castle temporarily out of royal control. With the conclusion of the Welsh wars, the castle fell into decay in the 14th century, and little was done to remedy its state. (11) |