Longford is an ancient village near the town of

Newport, Shropshire Newport is a constituent market town in Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire, England. It lies north of Telford, west of Stafford, and is near the Shropshire-Staffordshire border. The 2001 census recorded 10,814 people living in the town's paris ...

. It lies in the parish of

Church Aston Church Aston is a village and parish in Shropshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,354. It is to the south of Newport, though has become merged with the town in recent years due to suburban growth. Also ...

. Roman coins and medieval artifacts have been discovered in the village and it was listed in

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...

in 1086 with a population of 23 households, 13.5 plough lands and a mill. The historic manor covers 1,306 acres and includes the townships of Brockton and Stockton. Sites of historic importance include:

Longford Hall Longford Hall is a large country house in Longford, a village in Shropshire, England near the town of Newport. Building history Longford Hall was built in 1275 by Adam de Brompton and owned by the Earl of Shrewsbury. In April 1644 it was capt ...

, a late 16th-century dovecote, Church of St Mary, 13th century Talbot Chapel, remains of a mill race and several farm buildings. During 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 ...

, the Battle of Longford was fought here. On 25 March 1644, Colonel

Thomas Mytton Major General Thomas Mytton, also spelt Mitton, 1597 to November 1656, was a lawyer from Oswestry who served in the Parliamentarian army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and as MP for Shropshire in the First Protectorate Parliament. P ...

, commanding 500 Parliamentarians, was headed for the Royalist (" Cavaliers") strongholds of

Lilleshall Abbey Lilleshall Abbey was an Augustinian abbey in Shropshire, England, today located north of Telford. It was founded between 1145 and 1148 and followed the austere customs and observance of the Abbey of Arrouaise in northern France. It suffered ...

and Lea Castle, paused at Longford which was garrisoned by Parliamentarians ("

Roundheads Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

") to rest his men. There, however, Sir William Vaughan and Colonel

Robert Ellice General Robert Ellice (13 October 1784 – 18 June 1856) was a British Army officer. Military career Born the son of Scottish merchant and fur trader Alexander Ellice and brother of Edward Ellice and Alexander Ellice, Ellice was commissioned ...

leading local Royalist forces found Mytton and routed him. Having driven off Mytton, the Royalists then besieged the small garrison which took shelter in

. The Hall held out for a week before surrendering to the Royalists 2 April 1644. In the late autumn of 1645,

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

appeared before Longford. The village was quickly taken and the General immediately placed Longford Hall under siege. Upon Cromwell's call for the garrison to surrender, Sir Bartholomew Pell, the Royalist commander, entered into negotiations with Cromwell, winning favourable terms. Pell surrendered to Colonel Hawson and Major Kelsy. Under the terms of surrender, the garrison was to surrender their arms “without imbezeling”. Pell and his 14 officers were allowed to retain their horses, swords and pistols. The garrison was to be escorted toward

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. Once these terms were met, Pell and the remaining 14 officers would leave

was built in 1275 by Adam de Brompton and owned by the

Earl 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 Ireland ...

. In April 1644 it was captured by Royalists and subsequently demolished. The present house was built on the site 1794-97 by Colonel Ralph Leeke and designed by Joseph Bonomi.

is now the junior boarding house and sports fields of

Adams' Grammar School Haberdashers' Adams is a grammar school for boys aged 11–18 and girls aged 16–18, located in Newport, Shropshire, offering day and boarding education. Current (2021) boarding fees are £12,144 per year and £13,644 per year for overseas stu ...

. The area is situated on the Brockton Fault. Sandstone (Kidderminster Conglomerate) and slate are prevalent in the area and were once mined at Brockton, Stockton and Church Aston.

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Villages in Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Newport, Shropshire {{Shropshire-geo-stub

See also

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External links