Alton Castle is a Gothic-revival castle, on a hill above the

Churnet Valley The River Churnet is a river in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove. Etymology The origins of the name "Churnet" are unknown, though it is thought to derive from the pre-English, British name for the river. Course ...

, in the village of

Alton Alton may refer to: People *Alton (given name) *Alton (surname) Places Australia *Alton National Park, Queensland * Alton, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Balonne Canada * Alton, Ontario *Alton, Nova Scotia New Zealand * Alton, New Zealand, ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, England. The site has been fortified in wood since Saxon times, with a stone castle dating from the 12th century. The current castle was constructed in the mid-19th century by

John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, 16th Earl of Waterford (18 March 1791 – 9 November 1852) was a British peer and aristocrat. Sometimes known as "Good Earl John", he has been described as "the most prominent British Catholic of his day ...

, of nearby

Alton Towers Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, ...

. Since 1967 the castle has been designated a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. It is also a

scheduled ancient monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

History

Alton Castle was founded in stone by Bertram III de Verdun and built on a rocky precipice overlooking the

River Churnet The River Churnet is a river in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove. Etymology The origins of the name "Churnet" are unknown, though it is thought to derive from the pre-English, British name for the river. Course ...

in the 12th century, however the site had been fortified in wood since Saxon times. The castle is also referred to in historical documents as Alton, Alverton or Aulton. The 12th-century castle had a gatehouse added in the early 14th century, and was later substantially reconstructed during the 15th century. It was subsequently damaged during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. From 1442, the castle was in the possession of the

Earls of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Irelan ...

, who from the beginning of the 19th-century made their home at nearby

. By the mid-19th-Century the castle was mostly in ruins.

, commissioned Catholic architect

Augustus Pugin Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

, who was already working for the Earl at Alton Towers, to construct a new gothic castle/

country house An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...

on the site. Most of the 12th-century ruins were demolished to make way for the new building which was designed to look like a medieval castle built by English crusaders of the Knights of the Teutonic Order in Germany. The Earl also commissioned Pugin to develop the surrounding area on castle hill. A "replica of a medieval hospital, a guildhall and presbytery" were constructed; dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the buildings served as a church and hospital (almshouses) and were designed to provide and care for the poor for of the parish. The church was also used as a school for local poor children. It is unclear why the 16th Earl had the castle rebuilt. It may have been intended for the Earl's cousin and eventual successor, Bertram Talbot (17th Earl of Shrewsbury); or it may have been intended as a

Dower House A dower house is usually a moderately large house available for use by the widow of the previous owner of an English, Scottish or Welsh estate. The widow, often known as the "dowager", usually moves into the dower house from the larger family h ...

for the Earl's wife, if he should predecease her. Towards the end of the castle's construction, the earl suggested the castle could be a home for priests, but Pugin was "vehemently against the idea".Alton Towers Heritage
The 16th Earl and Castle Hill
The site was taken over by the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...

in 1855 and the presbytery became their convent. The castle remained a private residence until 1919 when the Sisters of Mercy bought it for £3,500 to extend their boarding school. The school closed in 1989 and the castle was left empty until 1996. In 1996, it was established by the

Archdiocese of Birmingham The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham is one of the principal Latin-rite Catholic administrative divisions of England and Wales in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. The archdiocese covers an area of , encompassing Staffordshir ...

as a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Youth Retreat Centre. Over 8,000 children visit the Castle each year, mainly with schools, but also from other children's organisations such as youth groups and charities who work with children with disabilities. Some of the children have suffered disadvantages, including disability, and many come from inner city areas of the West Midlands. The children participate in a variety of activities during their stay including mountain biking, trekking, archery, rock-climbing and learning outdoor navigation and survival skills.Alton Castle
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References

Michael Fisher, 'Gothic For Ever! - Pugin, Lord Shrewsbury, and the Catholic Revival in England', Spire Books, 2012. Michael Fisher, 'Hospital of St. John, and Alton Castle', A.W.N. Pugin Guides, Urban Vision, N. Staffs., 2012

External links

* * {{Authority control Castles in Staffordshire Grade I listed buildings in Staffordshire Scheduled monuments in Staffordshire Ruins in Staffordshire Country houses in Staffordshire Grade I listed houses Alton, Staffordshire

History

See also

References

External links