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Bishop's Castle is a
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
in the south west of
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 ...
, England. According to the 2011 Census it had a population of 1,893. Bishop's Castle is east of the Wales-England border, about north-west of
Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...
and about south-west of Shrewsbury. To the south is Clun and to the east is Church Stretton. The town is within an agricultural area and has also become known for its alternative community including artists, musicians, writers and craftspeople. The surrounding area is
hillwalking Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much unculti ...
country and Bishop's Castle is a "Walkers are Welcome Town", gaining the award in 2008. The long distance footpath the
Shropshire Way The Shropshire Way Main Route is a waymarked long distance footpath running through the English county of Shropshire. It runs around the interior of the county in two loops centred on Shrewsbury, with an additional spur to Whitchurch. The Ma ...
runs through the town and
Offa's Dyke Offa's Dyke ( cy, Clawdd Offa) is a large linear earthwork that roughly follows the border between England and Wales. The structure is named after Offa, the Anglo-Saxon king of Mercia from AD 757 until 796, who is traditionally believed to ha ...
is only a few miles to the west. The
ancient trackway Historic roads (historic trails in USA and Canada) are paths or routes that have historical importance due to their use over a period of time. Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient trackways ...
of the Kerry Ridgeway, a prehistoric
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
route, runs from the town. The BC Ring, a challenging route around the town, was published in 2008. The town has two micro-breweries, including the Three Tuns, the UK's oldest brewery.


History


The castle

Documented history begins in Saxon times for Bishop's Castle when Edwin Shakehead, grateful for being miraculously cured of the palsy at Saint Ethelbert's tomb in Hereford Cathedral gave part of his lands to the incumbent Bishop of Hereford. A successive Bishop of Hereford built a castle, originally a motte and bailey design, in 1087 to defend the church and village from the threat of the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
(its site ). The castle has been under attack several times, not always by Welsh raiders, most notably in 1263 when John Fitzalan, Lord of Arundel and feudal Lord of Oswestry and Clun, held it under siege in the course of a feud with the Bishop of Hereford and caused significant damage, estimated at 1,060
marks Marks may refer to: Business * Mark's, a Canadian retail chain * Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain * Collective trade marks, trademarks owned by an organisation for the benefit of its members * Marks & Co, the inspiration for the novel ...
. In the Early Middle Ages the castle and parish were situated partly in Wales and partly in England so territorial disputes literally 'came with the territory'. In 1557 the castle was described as follows: "thirteen rooms covered with lead, a tower on the outer wall on the eastern side containing a stable, and two rooms covered with tiles. There were two other rooms called 'le new buyldinge' situated on the outer wall between the building over the gate and the tower called 'le prison tower'. There was also a dovecote, a garden, a forest and a park." As peace came to the Welsh Marches Bishop's Castle became one of the notorious
rotten boroughs A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electora ...
, an electorally corrupt situation wherein the tiny borough elected two members of parliament from 1585. In 1618 the castle started to deteriorate and in the 1700s the stone keep and surroundings were flattened to make a bowling green. (Some historians believe that the houses along Market Square and Castle Street were built upon the foundations of an outer wall due to the curvature of the houses). In 1642, the
Three Tuns Brewery The Three Tuns Brewery in Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, England was established in 1642 on its current site, making it the oldest licensed brewery site in Britain. While some of the current building dates to the seventeenth century, the main buildi ...
was established on its current site, making it the oldest licensed brewery site in Britain. While some of the current building dates to the seventeenth century, the main building is a Victorian tower brewery erected about 1888. In 1719 – the fifth year of the reign of
George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgor ...
and the year Daniel Defoe published
Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...
– the Castle Hotel was constructed over the site of the old ''baille'' he French word for an enclosed courtof the ancient castle. It was built on the orders of a local landowner, James Brydges (1673–1744), who in the year the hotel was completed was created Duke of Chandos. In an age of unabashed corruption, he acquired a number of lucrative sinecure offices and amassed such wealth that he was known as 'Princely Chandos'. The 1st Duke of Chandos sold the Castle Hotel to John Walcot who in turn sold it to
Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive of Plassey Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency. Clive has been widely credited for laying the foundation of the British ...
(1725–1774), known as 'Clive of India', who amassed such wealth during his time in that country that Horace Walpole writing from London to a country friend said: 'you will be frightened by the dearness of everything ... I expect that a pint of milk will soon not be sold under a diamond, and then nobody can keep a cow but my Lord Clive'. From Lord Clive the hotel descended to his son, Edward, and then to his
grandson Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
, who changed the family name to Herbert, his mother's maiden name. The older Edward became
Earl of Powis Earl of Powis (Powys) is a title that has been created three times. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1674 in favour of William Herbert, 3rd Baron Powis, a descendant of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (c. 1501–15 ...
on the death of his brother-in-law,
George Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis George Edward Henry Arthur Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis (7 July 1755 – 16 January 1801), styled Viscount Ludlow until 1772, was a British peer. Early life Herbert was born at Finchley, Middlesex, the son of Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis, by ...
(of the previous creation of that title). Local landowners, including Lord Clive expended large sums of cash buying votes, a common practice at the time in some areas to ensure a seat in Parliament. In 1726 one unsuccessful parliamentary candidate was subsequently able to prove that of the 52 people voting for his rival, the incumbent MP, 51 had received bribes and inducements. The Reform Act 1832 eradicated this practice and Bishop's Castle was disenfranchised. All that is physically left of the castle today is a 10 m long, coursed stone wall on the west side of the castle site which is 2 m thick and 3 m high. It was overgrown with ivy and was recently renovated to keep it safe and stable. The Castle Hotel stands on the site of the castle itself and is largely built of stone salvaged from the original castle.


The town

The layout of the town in the present day shows that originally the town was made up of 46
burgage Burgage is a medieval land term used in Great Britain and Ireland, well established by the 13th century. A burgage was a town ("borough" or "burgh") rental property (to use modern terms), owned by a king or lord. The property ("burgage tenement ...
plots which were separated by a few small lanes which have developed to be Church Street, Union Street and Station Street. In 1249 a
Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...
for a weekly market and an annual fair was granted. They are both still very popular. In the 17th century, Bishop's Castle Town Hall was constructed as a new administrative centre, a court and a prison. It was refurbished with support from the
Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
and was re-opened in June 2014. The town was classified as a
municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
in 1885. It lost this status in the 1960s, but still has a mayor and its regalia. It is now a "Quality Town Council". Bishop's Castle was close to the epicentre of a magnitude 5.1
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
on 2 April 1990, which was felt throughout much of England and Wales. The town is located close to the
Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty The Shropshire Hills area, in the English county of Shropshire, is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ( AONB). It is located in the south of the county, extending to its border with Wales. Designated in 1958, the area encompass ...
.


Governance

From 1584 to 1832 it was its own parliamentary borough with two MPs. It has been part of the
Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...
constituency since the 15th century. Today the town forms a
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
, with its own
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second t ...
and mayor. The original Town Council website was one of the first in the UK to publish agendas and minutes (from late 2000). An electoral ward of the same name exists in the
Shropshire Council Shropshire Council is the local authority of Shropshire, in England, comprising the ceremonial county of Shropshire except Telford and Wrekin. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combi ...
. This ward stretches north east to
Ratlinghope Ratlinghope ( ) is a hamlet and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 138. It is situated four miles (6 km) west of Church Stretton and twelve miles (19 km) south of Shrewsbu ...
and at the 2011 Census had a total population of 3,728.


Amenities

There are a variety of shops, local businesses and services ranging from clothes shops to the usual high street banks. The town is notable for a thriving selection of specialist retailers. There are several
public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...
s in the town, and two micro-breweries: the Six Bells Brewery painted yellow, and the Three Tuns Brewery. Additionally, the town sports a number of restaurants and
bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...
s, and a hotel, The Castle Hotel, built on the site of the outer bailey of the old bishop's castle. Other sights in the town include the House on Crutches Museum of country life, the Rail & Transport Museum, and the old cattle market in the centre of town. Many properties are painted in various colourful hues of blue, pink, yellow and green which are reflected on the Wintles, a new neighbourhood of energy efficient eco-houses built by
Living Villages Living Villages is an organisation in the United Kingdom established in 1993 as part of The Athena Foundation UK (now dissolved) and as ThLiving Village Trustin 1997 by Carole Salmon and Bob Tomlinson. The objectives are to encourage sustainable d ...
.


Education

The town possesses a high school (
Bishop's Castle Community College Bishop's Castle Community College is a coeducational secondary school located in Bishop's Castle in the English county of Shropshire. Established in 1922 as Bishop's Castle County High School, today it is a foundation school administered by ...
) which teaches 11- to 16-year-olds, around 450 students from the town and surrounding villages and towns. It also has a primary school and a Nursery.


Sport

Sports played by local clubs include:


Cricket

1st XI play in Division 2 of the
Shropshire Cricket League The Shropshire Cricket League was a cricket league for clubs in Shropshire, United Kingdom. Founded in the 1960's, the league was succeeded by the Shropshire County Cricket League 2012 Format The 1st XI winners of Division 1 of the league were ...
, and the Club play friendlies on Sundays, with regular youth coaching sessions (usually Monday evenings) and matches for school age children. Cricket was first recorded being played in 1841 on Love Lane, and the club was officially formed in 1896 at a meeting held in the Six Bells public house, and have played at the Manor Ground since 1946. The 1st XI equalled their highest ever finish of 4th in 2011 (previously achieved in 2009) with a record points total of 332. The Club's social base is the Castle Hotel off Market Square.


Football

Bishops Castle Town play in the Montgomeryshire Amateur League and were Division 1 Champions in 2017–18, having previously played for 6 years in the Mercian Regional Football League Division One. Previously they played in Division 1 of the Montgomeryshire Amateur League, having gained promotion from Division 2 in the early 1990s, and having joined Division 2 in 1984–85. Before that they played in various leagues including the South Shropshire League and the West Shropshire Alliance. The Club was formed in the 1880s. The Club's social base after matches and for meetings is The Kings Head Public House in Church Street. The Club play their Home matches at the Community College ground on Colebatch Road.


Rugby

Bishop's Castle and Onny Valley Rugby Club was formed in the late 1970s and spent the early years playing friendly games against teams from Mid-Wales and Shropshire, before joining the league structure in the early 1990s. Now they play in Midlands Division Fourth North.


Other sports

*Women's Hockey *Squash *Tennis


Transport

Bishop's Castle has been on a main route for travellers since prehistoric times, although the town was bypassed in the 19th century by
Thomas Telford Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scot ...
's great road. The inns would have provided accommodation for travellers and have stabled their horses. There is no main road running through the town, though the A488 runs north-south just to the east of the town, on its way from Shrewsbury,
Pontesbury Pontesbury is a village and civil parish in Shropshire and is approximately eight miles southwest of Shrewsbury. In the 2011 census, the village had a population of 1,873 and the parish had a population of 3,227. The village of Minsterley is ju ...
and
Minsterley Minsterley is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. In the 2011 census, its population was 1,777. Minsterley lies one mile south-west of Pontesbury and 10 miles south-west of Shrewsbury. East from Minsterley along the A488, is the la ...
to Clun and Knighton. The B4385 runs around the town and connects with the A488. Bishops Castle had a railway, the
Bishops Castle Railway The Bishop's Castle Railway was a railway company that constructed a railway line in Shropshire, from near Craven Arms to Bishop's Castle. It opened in 1866 but was continuously short of money, and was unable to complete its originally-planned ...
, between 1865 and 1935. Originally it was meant to go from
Craven Arms Craven Arms is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which link it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The Heart of Wales railway l ...
to Montgomery, but that speculation failed due to lack of finance. Sections of the old railway can still be seen today, including some of the embankments, bridges and stations. Today the nearest station is Broome on the
Heart of Wales Line The Heart of Wales line ( cy, Llinell Calon Cymru) is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in southwest Wales. It serves a number of rural centres, including the nineteenth-century spa towns Llandrindod Wells, Lla ...
. There is a limited daytime bus service 553 on Mondays to Saturdays between Bishops Castle and Shrewsbury, operated by local independent operator
Minsterley Motors Minsterley Motors is a bus and coach operator in Shropshire, England. The company's main operations concentrate on stage service and schools contract work for Shropshire Council. It also provides transport for the Shropshire Schools & Colleges F ...
.


Notable people

*
Oliver Mathews Oliver Mathews (or Matthews; –) was a Welsh apothecary and chronicler. He wrote the first history of Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, although as Hugh Owen and John Brickdale Blakeway point out, it c ...
(–c. 1618), Welsh apothecary and chronicler; married in Bishop's Castle, and lived at Snead * Richard Broughton (1542–1604), English judge and politician, of family owning Owlbury and Lower Broughton in town's parish *
Hugh Broughton Hugh Broughton (1549 – 4 August 1612) was an English scholar and theologian. Early life He was born at Owlbury, Bishop's Castle, Shropshire. He called himself a Cambrian, implying Welsh blood in his veins. He was educated by Bernard Gilpin ...
(1549 at Owlbury, Bishop's Castle – 1612), English Hebrew scholar and theologian * Richard Gifford (1725 in Bishop's Castle – 1807), English poet and clergyman * Sir
Albert Howard Sir Albert Howard (8 December 187320 October 1947) was an English botanist. His academic background might have been botany. While working in India he was generally considered a Pathologist; this more than likely being the reason for his consist ...
(1873 in Bishop's Castle – 1947), an English botanist, an organic farming pioneer and a principal figure in the early organic movement * Robin Legge (1862 in Bishop's Castle – 1933), chief music critic of ''The Daily Telegraph'', 1906–1931 * Richard More (1879 in Bishop's Castle – 1936), an English cricketer, played first-class cricket for Oxford University and Middlesex *
James Sharples James Sharples (1751 or 1752, in Lancashire – 26 February 1811, in New York City) was an English portrait painter and pastelist, who moved to the United States in 1794. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1779. Life James was firs ...
(1890 – 1969 in Bishop's Castle), an English cricketer who played for Glamorgan *
Fuzz Townshend John Richard Keith "Fuzz" Townshend (born 31 July 1964) is a British drummer, TV presenter of National Geographic Channel's ''Car SOS'' (also shown on Channel 4/More4), motoring journalist for '' Classic Car Weekly'', former technical editor o ...
(born 1964), a British drummer, TV presenter, a motoring journalist and mechanic. He lives in Bishop's Castle * Matthew Green (born 1970),
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...
politician, lived in Bishops Castle prior to his election as MP for
Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...
. * Peter Postlethwaite, (1946–2011) actor, lived in near Bishop’s Castle in the final years of his life.


See also

*
Listed buildings in Bishop's Castle Bishop's Castle is a civil parish in Shropshire, England. It contains 85 Listed building#England and Wales, listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. Of these, five are listed at Grade II*, the middle of ...


References


External links


Bishop's Castle Town Council
{{authority control Towns in Shropshire Market towns in Shropshire Towns of the Welsh Marches Civil parishes in Shropshire