Apley Castle was a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
fortified manor in the village of
Hadley,
Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
, England.
History
Apley Castle was a moated, fortified
manor house
A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...
in Hadley near
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
. By the early 14th century the manor was owned by the Charlton family, who had become major landowners in the region, and in 1327 Sir Alan Charlton received a
licence to crenellate
In medieval England, Wales and the Channel Islands a licence to crenellate (or licence to fortify) granted the holder permission to fortify his property. Such licences were granted by the king, and by the rulers of the counties palatine within the ...
the manor house. The building work occurred shortly afterwards, producing a square building set around a central courtyard. Charlton's descendants expanded the castle considerably into an Elizabethan mansion during the late 16th and early 17th century, using grey
ashlar
Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...
stone.
Margaret Charlton, the religious non-conformist, was born here in 1636. She would be a supporter and later wife of
Richard Baxter
Richard Baxter (12 November 1615 – 8 December 1691) was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymnodist, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he ...
. In 1642 the castle passed by marriage to Thomas Hanmer, who married Margaret's mother (and very recent widow) Mary Charlton.
With the outbreak of the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
that year between the supporters of
King Charles and
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, Hanmer, a royalist, fortified the mansion, which formed a valuable strategic stronghold close to Shrewsbury. Encouraged by Francis Charlton's younger brother, the castle was sacked by Parliamentary forces during the war: £1,500 of damage was done and the lead from the roof was stolen for use at
Shrewsbury Castle
Shrewsbury Castle is a red sandstone castle in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It stands on a hill in the neck of the meander of the River Severn on which the town originally developed. The castle, directly above Shrewsbury railway station, is a ...
. Hamner was taken prisoner and Mary Hamner managed to recover bother her children and the castle in order that her son Francis Charlton could become its heir.
[
A second mansion, also called Apley Castle, was subsequently built between 1791 and 1794 for the Charltons, and the repaired first castle was reused as the stableblock for this building. This building was demolished in 1955, and the stables fell into disrepair. In 1996, the stables, including their medieval elements, were renovated and turned into a private house.]
Apley Castle Park
'', Apley Preservation Association, accessed 17 August 2011.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 ...
.
See also
*Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
Castles have played an important military, economic and social role in Great Britain and Ireland since their introduction following the Norman invasion of England in 1066. Although a small number of castles had been built in England in the 10 ...
*List of castles in England
This list of castles in England is not a list of every building and site that has "castle" as part of its name, nor does it list only buildings that conform to a strict definition of a castle as a medieval fortified residence. It is not a li ...
References
Bibliography
*Emery, Anthony. (2000)
Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1300-1500: East Anglia, Central England and Wales.
' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. .
*Mackenzie, James D. (1896)
The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure, Vol II.
' New York: Macmillan. .
{{Authority control
Castles in Shropshire
Buildings and structures in Telford
British country houses destroyed in the 20th century