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Hawkstone Park is a historic landscape park in Shropshire, England, with pleasure grounds and gardens. It historically associated with Soulton Hall the
Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
headquarters of Sir Rowland Hill ("Old Sir Rowland") publisher of the
Geneva Bible The Geneva Bible, sometimes known by the sobriquet Breeches Bible, is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the Douay Rheims Bible by 22 years, and the King James Version by 51 years. It was ...
, (d.1561) because these two estates were bought by him in 1556 from Sir Thomas Lodge(father of the writer
Thomas Lodge Thomas Lodge (September 1625) was an English writer and medical practitioner whose life spanned the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. Biography Early life Thomas Lodge was born about 1557 in West Ham, the second son of Sir Thomas Lodge ...
, who penned the source book of Shakespeare's play ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...
''). For these reasons, the landscape is increasingly linked with the inspiration for that play. One of the reasons for the dominance of the landscape as an eighteenth century attraction is the Geneva Bible' enduring internal importance and is known in America as the Founders Bible, as well as being the Bible of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
, Donne and Milton. In the later 1600s, Hawkstone Hall was built as another headquarters of the legacy estates of "Old Sir Rowland". The park, north east of the small village of Weston-under-Redcastle, near
Wem Wem may refer to: * HMS ''Wem'' (1919), a WWI Royal Navy minesweeper * Weem, a village in Perthshire, Scotland * Wem, a small town in Shropshire, England * Wem (musician), hip hop musician WEM may stand for: * County Westmeath County Westmeat ...
. is listed Grade I in
Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...
's Register of Parks and Gardens. It is known for its
follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot centers on a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Follies ...
.


Overview

Today the park consists of of
follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot centers on a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Follies ...
and landscaped parkland grounds and rocky outcrops, based around the ruins of the medieval Red Castle. A climax in the development of the landscape is considered to be associated with the work of Richard Hill (1655–1727), also known as 'The Great Hill', circa 1707. The follies, estate and reputation were further enhanced by his nephew and heir Sir Rowland Hill, 1st Baronet Hill of Hawkstone (1705–1783) and then Sir Richard Hill, 2nd Baronet (1733–1808) during the 18th century. The park endured a century of neglect and decay until an ongoing programme of restoration was started in 1990, enabling it to be re-opened in 1993. It is now scheduled as Grade-1 listed on the
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England {{R from move ...
{{R from move ...
. It takes a 2.5-hour hiking tour to completely see each
folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...
and their landscapes (a reasonable level of
physical fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of Outline of sports, sports, occupations, and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, modera ...
and mobility is required and there are many steps, ascents and descents). At some times of the year, not all site trails are accessible.


History


Castle

Red Castle, the first
castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
at Hawkstone Park, was built in 1227 by Henry de Audley (Alditheley),
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
of
Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
and
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...
. This Norman enclosure castle was built of sandstone on a natural outcrop of rock, flanked on all sides by wide valleys. The castle has been known by various names: Red Castle; Rubree; Radeclif, Redcliffe, Redde, Castle Rous, and Hawkstone. About the same time (1227-1232) Henry also built Heighley Castle at
Madeley, Staffordshire Madeley is a village and ward in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, North Staffordshire, England. It is split into three parts: Madeley, Middle Madeley, and Little Madeley. Madeley Heath is also considered by many to be part of Madeley ...
, and made it the family
caput A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may not ...
. Subsequent generations of Audleys were also known as Lords of Heleigh Castle, and expanded from there. The site of the Red Castle is closed to the public as it is unsafe. It takes up the top of Red Castle Hill (the westerly outcropping hill of the park grounds), a
crag Crag may refer to: * Crag (climbing), a cliff or group of cliffs, in any location, which is or may be suitable for climbing * Crag (dice game), a dice game played with three dice * Crag, Arizona, US * Crag, West Virginia, US * Crag and tail, a ...
overlooking the golf course and Weston to its south east. John Tuchet, 4th Baron Audley (1371–1408) inherited the title via his sister, then survived the uprising of
Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Wales in the late Middle Ages, late Middle ...
and the
Battle of Shrewsbury The Battle of Shrewsbury was fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King Henry IV and a rebel army led by Henry "Harry Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland. The battle, the first in which English archers fought ea ...
in 1403, where he fought against Henry "Hotspur" Percy. His son James Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley (1398–1459) was killed by Sir Roger Kynaston, whilst leading the
House of Lancaster The House of Lancaster was a cadet branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. The first house was created when King Henry III of England created the Earldom of Lancasterfrom which the house was namedfor his second son Edmund Crouchback in 1267 ...
at the
Battle of Blore Heath The Battle of Blore Heath took place during the English Wars of the Roses on 23 September 1459, at Blore Heath, Staffordshire. Blore Heath is a sparsely populated area of farmland two miles east of the town of Market Drayton in Shropshire, and ...
in 1459. The Audleys forfeited the title when
James Tuchet, 7th Baron Audley James Tuchet, 7th Baron Audley (c. 146328 June 1497) was a British nobleman and the only lord to fully join the Cornish rebellion of 1497 opposing the rule of Henry VII of England. He was a leader in the rebel army's march to the edge of Londo ...
(c. 1463–1497) led a rebellion against King Henry VII of England in 1497 and was executed. The Audley title was restored to John Tuchet, 8th Baron Audley in 1512. The "Red Castle", as it became known, was held by the family until the early 16th century initially as their main Shropshire stronghold. Repairs were undertaken in 1283. It was in use in 1322, but by around 1400 it seems no longer occupied. When Leland visited the castle in around 1540 he described it as ruinous.


Tudor period

In the sixteenth century, the manors Soulton and Hawkstone (the latter of which includes the village) were obtained in 1556 by Sir Rowland Hill, the coordinator of the
Geneva Bible The Geneva Bible, sometimes known by the sobriquet Breeches Bible, is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the Douay Rheims Bible by 22 years, and the King James Version by 51 years. It was ...
who is associated with Shakespeare’s play ''As You Like It.'' Sir Rowland Hill made his residence at Soulton and recruited the Hawkstone landscape for allegorical landscape gardens addressing his house there. Eventually the lands passed via Sir Andrew Corbet of Moreton Corbet to Sir Rowland Hill, 1st Baronet Hill of Hawkstone (1705–1783), who lived nearby at Shelvock Manor. The hall at Hawkstone dates from the late 1600s, with records indicating the senior house in Hawkstone was in ruins in Tudor times. It is recorded that:
in the ruin of Red Castle... Rowland Hill the Royalist found it convenient to hide, for his own safety and the good of the Commonwealth


Restoration

Richard Hill (1655–1727), 'The Great Hill', traveller and diplomat, had made a fortune by 'lucrative arithmetick' (sic), raised the family into the
aristocracy Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense Economy, economic, Politics, political, and soc ...
, and established an existing Hawkstone
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 usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
as a seat of that branch of the family. He started partial demolition of the house in 1701, replacing it with the Hall, completing it circa 1707.


Georgian

Sir Rowland Hill, 1st Baronet (1705–1783), landscaped the Red Castle and extended the estate, with walks over the four natural hills and a wide range of follies that included a
hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...
to dispense wisdom to visitors. Sir Richard Hill, 2nd Baronet (1733–1808) took over on his father’s death in 1783, published a guide for visitors and built the 'Hawkstone Inn' to accommodate them. He engaged landscape gardener
William Emes William Emes (1729 or 1730–13 March 1803) was an English landscape gardener. Biography Details of his early life are not known but in 1756 he was appointed head gardener to Sir Nathaniel Curzon at Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire. He left this post ...
to build a vast manmade lake, the Hawk River and his follies included a 'ruined'
Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...
Arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...
on Grotto Hill, the urn, a tribute to an
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
ancestor, the Swiss Bridge, and the
obelisk An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...
with an internal staircase, topped by a statue of the original Sir Rowland Hill. Hawkstone Park had become one of Britain’s top attractions by the time he died in 1808. It maintained this status under his brother Sir John Hill, 3rd Baronet (1740–1824).


Victorian collapse

Sir Rowland Hill, 4th Baronet Hill of Hawkstone, 2nd Viscount Hill (1800–1875) inherited, spent and lost a large fortune. He created two new drives, one at vast expense through a rock cutting, and even considered completely relocating the hall across the park. In 1824-5 he built a dower house known as The Citadel in Gothic Revival style. His extravagance and bad management caused a descent into a mess that was inherited in 1875 by his son, Rowland Clegg-Hill, the 3rd Viscount Hill (1833–1895) who was bankrupt by the time of his death in 1895, forcing the sale of the contents of the hall and then the split up of the estate by 1906.


Twentieth century and later

During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, parts of the park were used as a
prisoner of war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, ...
. Hawkstone Park is now largely restored, and once again open to the public. It is protected as a Grade I historic park.


Features


Wider landscape

There are various caves, tunnels through the rock, walkways, viewpoints and trails winding through
Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...
plantations.


Features inside the current park


The Obelisk

Lately known as "The Monument", this a is column built to be high commemorating Sir Rowland Hill of Soulton. He coordinated the
Geneva Bible The Geneva Bible, sometimes known by the sobriquet Breeches Bible, is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the Douay Rheims Bible by 22 years, and the King James Version by 51 years. It was ...
translation and was the first
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current ...
. There has been come friction relating to its original and traditional name "The Obelisk", which is explicable because of the status of the person to whom it was raised. The statue on the top is a modern replacement. The original eighteenth century statue was a copy from an ancient monument, which before the
fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the ...
stood in the church of St. Stephens Walbrook. He is holding a copy of the
Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardin ...
and pointing towards his house at Soulton Hall. The text originally on the Hawkstone pillar read as follows:
THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE HAD IN EVERLASTING REMEMBRANCE.-Psalm cxi. 6. The first stone of this Pillar was laid by Sir Richard Hill, Bart. Member in several Parliaments for this County, on the 1st day of October, in the year 1795; who caused it to be erected, not only for the various uses of an Observatory, and to feast the eye, by presenting to it at one view, a most luxuriant and extensive prospect, which takes in not less than twelve (or, as some assert, fifteen) counties; but from motives of justice, respect, and gratitude to the memory of a truly great and good man, viz. Sir Rowland Hill, Knt.... he became one of the most considerable and opulent merchants of his time, and was Lord Mayor of the same, in the second and third years of
Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...
, anno 1549 and 1550, and was the first Protestant who filled that high office. Having embraced the principles of the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
, he zealously exerted himself in behalf of the Protestant cause, and having been diligent in the use of all religious exercises, prayerful, conscientious, and watchful (as a writer of his character expresses it), yet trusting only in the merits of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, he exchanged his life for a better, a short while after the death of that pious young monarch, being aged nearly seventy years. For a considerable time previous to his decease, he gave up his mercantile occupations, that he might with more devotedness of heart attend to the great concerns of another world. His lands, possessions, and church patronage, were immense; particularly in the counties of Salop and Chester; the number of his tenants (none of whom he ever raised or fined) amounting to one thousand one hundred and eighty-one, as appears from his own hand writing. But his private virtues, good deeds, and munificent spirit, were quite unlimited, and extended-like the prospect before us, East, West, North, and South, far surpassing all bounds. "Being sensible," saith Fuller (speaking of him in his "Worthies of England"), "that "his great estate was given him of God," it was his desire to devote it to his glory. He built a spacious church in his own parish of
Hodnet Hodnet ( ) is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Shropshire, England. The town of Market Drayton lies 5.7 miles (9.2 km) north-east of the village. In 2011 the parish had a population of 1534. History Evidence of a ...
, and likewise the neighbouring church of
Stoke Stoke may refer to: Places Canada * Stoke, Quebec New Zealand * Stoke, New Zealand United Kingdom Berkshire * Stoke Row Bristol * Stoke Bishop * Stoke Gifford * Bradley Stoke * Little Stoke * Harry Stoke * Stoke Lodge Bucking ...
, at his own expense. He built Tern and Atcham Bridges in this county, both of hewn stone, and containing several arches each. He also built other large bridges of timber. He built and endowed several Free Schools, particularly that of Drayton. He made and paved divers highways for the public utility. He founded exhibitions, and educated many students at both Universities, and supported at the
Inns of Court The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court: Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple, and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them. They have s ...
others who were brought up to the Law. He was the unwearied friend of the widow and the fatherless. He clothed annually three hundred poor people in his own neighbourhood, both with shirts and coats; and in the city of London he gave £500 (an immense sum in those days) to St. Bartholomew's hospital, besides (saith Fuller) £600 to Christ Church hospital. He also gave most liberally to all other hospitals, and at his death bequeathed £150 to the poor of all the Wards in London. He had no children, but his relations and kinsfolk were numerous, who all partook largely of his bounty, both in his lifetime and at his death. He constantly kept up a great family household, where he maintained good hospitality. Many resorted to him for his wise and salutary advice; and none who came to him were ever sent empty or dissatisfied away. ''Go and do thou likewise, as far as thy ability will permit, without injury to thy own relations.'' To suffer such a character to sink into oblivion, would be in the highest degree ungrateful, as well as injurious to posterity, for whose imitation it is held up.
There is a view across Hawk Lake to Hawkstone Abbey Farm.


= Red Castle

= The adaption of a somewhat unusual location for a medieval castle provides a valuable insight into the development of military architecture in this region in the 13th century. The upstanding remains of individual buildings, including those cut into the rock, contain important architectural features.


= Ravens' Shelf

= This is one of the wildest spots in Hawkstone Park.


= White Tower

= The White Tower is an octagonal
red brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...
tower, once lime washed. Inside it originally had traces of a green, red and yellow colour scheme. Today it has a waxwork of the generals Viscount Hill and the
Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...
inside.


= The Grotto caves

= The Grotto may have originated as a 5th-century copper mine. This once contained elaborate decoration which included shells, slag, coral and ore-encrusted walls and coloured glass in its windows.


= The arch

= There is an arch called "The Arch" on the top of Grotto Hill.


= Urn

= Placed in commemoration of a member of the Hill family who hid in the Redcastle and the caves during the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...
after the Hill houses at Soulton and Hawkstone had been ransacked by Parliamentarians around the time of the battle of
Wem Wem may refer to: * HMS ''Wem'' (1919), a WWI Royal Navy minesweeper * Weem, a village in Perthshire, Scotland * Wem, a small town in Shropshire, England * Wem (musician), hip hop musician WEM may stand for: * County Westmeath County Westmeat ...
.


= Cleft and Swiss Bridge

= The Cleft is a narrow passage in the cliff which is spanned by the Swiss Bridge.


= Menagerie

= Standing on the southern slope of the
Elysian Elysium (), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields (, ''Ēlýsion pedíon''), Elysian Plains or Elysian Realm, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philosophical sects and cults ...
Hill, the Menagerie housed a collection of stuffed birds in early C19. The arcade collapsed after a gale in 1952.


= Greenhouse

= This gothic style building was originally constructed as a halfway point for refreshments.


= Hermitage

= This thatched building was present by 1787 and restored in the 1990s.


= Stone arch

= This is on the roadway to Hawkstone Hall, excavated from hill to form a threshold.


= Cleft

= This is a later 1700s excavation of steps to connect to a long entrance tunnel into the Grotto.


= Grand Valley

= This is a level area between the Hawkstone Hills.


= Terrace Arboretum

= Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, plants and trees were brought in from around the world. Many of these were planted along the terrace, providing shelter from the hot sun or rain. Nowadays, the Terrace Arboretum contains a forest of rhododendron.


Features outside the current park, but historically related


Soulton Hall

Soulton Hall was the house of Sir Rowland Hill, built by 1560, which recruited the Hawkstone landscape for allegorical landscape gardens. This is understood to be the "Tower,/Relict of Ages" referred to in the sonnet below.


Hawkstone Hall

The eighteenth century phase is associated with the hall at Hawkstone. In a compartment at the west end of the garden of this building is a cemetery for priests associated with the former Redemptorist seminary located at Hawkstone Hall from 1926 to 1973.


The Citadel

The Citadel is a dower house on the estate built to represent the arms of the Hill family. It was built in 1824-5 to a design by Thomas Harrison of Chester.


Hawkstone Abbey Farm

The building now known as Hawkstone Abbey Farm is an "eye-catcher" from Hawkstone and was part of the Hill projects over the estates.


Filming

The landscape was used to represent parts of
Narnia ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven portal fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a ...
in the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's TV adaptation of
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...
's books in ''
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' is a portal fantasy novel written by British author C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1950. It is the first published and best known of seven novels in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1950–1956 ...
'' in 1988 and ''
Prince Caspian ''Prince Caspian'' (originally published as ''Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia'') is a high fantasy novel written by British author C. S. Lewis and published by Geoffrey Bles in 1951. It was the second published of seven novels in ''The C ...
'' a year later.


King Arthur and the Holy Grail

The area is associated with the Arthurian story of the giants Tarquin and Tarquinus, with records of this in the 1700s. They are said to have owned the Red Castle, and their brother Sir Carados who captured Sir Gawain.
Sir Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), alternatively written as Launcelot and other variants, is a popular character in the Arthurian legend's chivalric romance tradition. He is typically depicted as King Arthur's close companio ...
and Sir Tristam of the
Round Table The Round Table (; ; ; ) is King Arthur's famed table (furniture), table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status, unlike co ...
set out to rescue their friend. They encountered Sir Carados carrying Sir Gawain bound and tied across his saddle and after a legendary fight Sir Lancelot killed the giant at Killguards near Weston Church freeing Sir Gawain. Legend has it that King Arthur addressed his knights in the caves contained within this parkland. There is a legend that one of the caves of Hawkstone Park was the burial ground of
King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...
. There is a folklore belief that the
Holy Grail The Holy Grail (, , , ) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenanc ...
was in the grotto caves in Hawkstone; this is associated with an early Roman scent jar which was found inside a sculpture of an eagle when that sculpture broke in the 1920s.


Culture and cultural references

Dr. Johnson visited and wrote of Hawkstone as follows: :"its prospects, the awfulness of its shades, the horrors of its precipices, the verdure of its hollows and the loftiness of its rocks ... above is inaccessible altitude, below is horrible profundity." (1774).
Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosophy, natural philosopher, physiology, physiologist, Society for Effecting the ...
also visited, and notes the outcrops of copper-bearing rocks... :"at Hawkstone in Shropshire, the seat of Sir Richard Hill, there is an elevated rock of siliceous sand which is coloured green with copper in many places high in the air." (1783).
Pasquale Paoli Filippo Antonio Pasquale de' Paoli (; or ; ; 6 April 1725 – 5 February 1807) was a Corsican patriot, statesman, and military leader who was at the forefront of resistance movements against the Republic of Genoa, Genoese and later Kingd ...
visited the landscape.
Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...
knew the landscape and the family. A sonnet was written about the view from Hawkstone in the early 1800s in the following terms:
O, gentle Spirit of these fairy lands! Where fragrant Bowers and peaceful Caves abound, Where craggy Rocks with green eternal crown'd Frown on the Vale, in which quiescent stands The silver Lake expansive; where the Tower, Relict of ages, casts a mournful shade Along the turf, 'neath which the bones are laid Of warriors once exalted high in power, Who wielded here, in martial line, the sword:- Where Order dwells with rude Disorder wild, In scenes-tremendous these, those sweetly mild: - Spirit! a place in these thy haunts afford:" Here gay and sad a calm retreat may find,- Peace for the peaceless breast-Joy for the joyful mind.


Current operations

Hawkstone follies is currently combined with an adjacent hotel (formerly a lodge of the hall) marketed in association with the Principal Hayley Group
golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
.


Golf course

Hawkstone Park has two 18-hole
golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
s, set in and around the parkland.
Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle (born 9 February 1958) is a Scottish professional golfer. He has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s. ...
was tutored in golf by his father Alex, who was the resident golf professional at Hawkstone.


See also

* Listed buildings in Weston-under-Redcastle


References


External links


Hawkstone Park Hotel

Soulton Hall



www.geograph.co.uk: photos of Hawkstone Park and surrounding area

"Red Castle (photo)"

"Map of the Red Castle site"

BBC Shropshire page on Hawkstone Hall
{{coord, 52, 51, 27.18, N, 2, 38, 34.71, W, display=title Gardens in Shropshire Tourist attractions in Shropshire Folly buildings in England Golf clubs and courses in Shropshire Grade I listed parks and gardens