Monument Type(s):

• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• TOWER KEEP (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• KEEP AND BAILEY CASTLE (14th century - 1300 AD to 1399 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: Hopton Castle is one of the finest examples in Shropshire of a medieval tower keep (a castle centred on a strongly fortified tower residence), containing as it does largely undisturbed motte and bailey earthworks as well as the ruinous tower. These castles are rare nationally but Hopton Castle is one of a concentration on the Welsh borders.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA1561 - 1929 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA1562 - 1973 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA1563 - 1981 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA1564 - 1986 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA5010 - 1996 Condition survey by English Heritage in advance of repair works at Hopton Castle
• ESA6011 - 2005 Geophysical Survey of Hopton Castle, Shropshire by Stratascan
• ESA6305 - 2006 archaeological and architectural analysis of the Tower at Hopton Castle, Shropshire by Richard K Morriss
• ESA6306 - 2005 archaeological evaluation at Hopton Castle, Shropshire by Marches Archaeology
• ESA6307 - 2005 Earthwork survey at Hopton Castle, Shropshire by English Heritage
• ESA6308 - 2005 condition inspection at Hopton Castle, Shropshire by S T Walker & Duckham Chartered Architects
• ESA6415 - 2009 Geophysical Survey of Hopton Castle, Shropshire by GSB Prospection
• ESA6416 - 2009 Excavations at Hopton Castle by Time Team and Wessex Archaeology
• ESA6717 - 2009-2011 WB at Hopton Castle, Shropshire by Castlering Archaeology
• ESA7571 - 2006 Conservation management plan for Hopton Castle by Rayska Heritage
• ESA7776 - 2002 Conservation survey for Hopton Castle by English Heritage

Description

The motte stands 2m above outside ground level and has a base diameter of 32m. The surrounding ditch, largely eroded away (by flooding?) is 8m in width and up to 1m in depth. A second doorway in the W side of the keep probably gave access to the inner bailey. Below it a causeway projects into the motte ditch. The Inner Bailey measures 35m internally N/S and 30m transversely. It contains the site of two buildings, indicated by rectangular hollows about 15m in length and 6-7m in width, orientated E/W. Within the southernmost hollow foundation remains of a N side wall are exposed. Heavy scatters of stone around the perimeter suggest the bailey to have been enclosed by a curtain wall, and at the SW corner is the site of a tower or turret, indicated by an embanked hollow 6m square. The enclosing ditch is 12m in width and up to 2.7m deep. The Outer Bailey is L shaped and lies to the W and S of the inner bailey. The W side is 70m in length, the S side 130m in length. The bailey contains no visible features. A ditch on the S side is cut into a gentle N facing slope and is 12m in width and from 1.7m to 2m in depth. It continues round the E end of the bailey and is partly waterfilled on the N side where it possibly served as a fishpond, the depression being rectangular , 50m long, 17m wide and 2m deep. At the W end of this depression it links up with the motte and inner bailey ditches. A line of low scarps along the N and E sides of the site were probably constructed to minimise flooding by the stream, though it would probably have been directed by leats into the ditches. Nothing to be seen of the chapel recorded by the VCH. OS FI 1973 <1><1a>

Castle, remains of. Probably early C14 with later additions and alterations. Regularly coursed shale (traces of former render surviving) with sandstone ashlar dressings; now roofless. Only keep on roughly circular motte survives; square plan with clasping buttress-like rectangular corner turrets. 3 levels with moulded string course to ground floor carried right around structure; roughly dressed angle quoins. North elevation: recessed double-chamfered moulded pointed doorway with hoodmould and outline of former gable above in angle with right turret, which has narrow rectangular chamfered opening on first floor. Similar openings on both ground and first floors to left turret. Corbelled projection above doorway with chamfered stone cap has cusped lancet to centre, similar lancet to left within larger infilled pointed opening. Chamfered rectangular window to left of doorway with segmental relieving arch. West elevation: narrow rectangular openings to turrets. Ruinous segmental-headed doorway in angle with right turret has segmental-pointed window (mutilated) on first floor to left. South elevation: narrow rectangular openings to turrets and large opening to centre retaining fragments of moulding to jambs; cusped lancet below extending through string course. Slight rectangular projection in angle with left turret on first floor. ->

-> East elevation: narrow rectangular openings to turrets. Broad pointed opening (mutilated) to left on first floor and square-headed opening with moulded label in larger infilled opening to right. Rectangular opening to ground floor on right has segmental relieving arch. ->

-> Interior. Inspection not possible at time of resurvey (September 1986) but right turret on north elevation has spiral staircase. Extensive earthworks on all sides, especially well-defined to west in what appears to be bailey. Water-filled moats and several fragments of masonry visible beneath banks. Scheduled Ancient Monument, County No. 23 <2>

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1: High score as one of 46 Motte and Bailey castles; Medium score as one of 15 Tower Keep castles; Medium score as one of 52 Fishponds <10>

Scheduling revised in 1995. Scheduling description: ->

->The monument includes Hopton Castle, a well defined tower keep castle built on a motte and bailey situated at the confluence of two streams. The castle stands on slightly raised ground bounded around the north, east and south sides by natural watercourses. It includes a castle mound or motte and two baileys; the motte is surmounted by a rectangular stone keep, which is also a Listed Building Grade I. ->

-> The motte is roughly circular in plan with a base diameter of 33m and rises 2m above the surrounding ground surface to a flat summit 20m in diameter. The substantial remains of a 14th century rectangular masonry keep stand on the summit of the motte. It has doorways in its north and west sides, the west door being designed to give access to the inner bailey. The remains of a causeway project into the motte ditch below the west door, this may represent the site of a drawbridge. A ditch up to 8m wide and lm deep surrounds the motte and remains visible as an earthwork throughout most of its circuit. A section some 20m long around the north east side has been largely eroded away, probably as a result of periodic flooding by the stream to the north. A well defined scarp averaging lm in height separates the site from this stream, creating a flat raised area between the motte and the stream. The remains of a building, comprising a circular platform 10m in diameter with its centre hollowed to a depth of 0.5m, lies in the south east corner of this level area. There are two bailey enclosures attached to the motte, these being designed to contain and protect the domestic buildings associated with the castle. The roughly rectangular inner bailey lies immediately to the west of the motte and has maximum internal dimensions of 40m north to south by 30m east to west. It is bounded on all sides by a well defined scarp falling to a ditch 12m wide and 2.6m deep. A concentration of stone around the upper edge of the bailey scarp suggests that it was originally surmounted by a curtain wall. A 6m square embanked hollow, positioned at the south west corner of the bailey is believed to represent the site of a tower or turret. In the north east quadrant of the bailey are two rectangular hollows; they lie parallel to each other and are orientated roughly east to west. The more northerly has dimensions of 16m long by 6m wide, the southerly, which has the remains of a foundation wall visible in its north side, is 15m long by 8m wide. Both are believed to represent the remains of rectangular domestic buildings associated with the occupation of the castle. ->

-> A second, outer bailey, lies to the south and west of the motte and inner bailey, strengthening the defences around these sides. It is a raised platform 1.5m high, roughly L-shaped in plan which wraps around the motte and inner bailey. The longest arm is 130m east to west flanked along its south side by a substantial outer ditch 12m wide and between 1.7m and 2m deep. This ditch continues around the east end of the bailey, turning around the north side to separate the bailey from the motte and platform to the north. Here the ditch is widened to create a rectangular water-filled fishpond 50m east to west by 17m wide and averaging 2m in depth. This is linked at its western end by a channel 18m long and 6m wide to the ditch of the motte and inner bailey. The shorter arm of the outer bailey extends north for 70m from the west end of the longer arm and has no visible trace of an outer ditch. ->

-> All boundary features and modern structures within the area of the scheduling are excluded, although the ground beneath them is included. <11>

Condition Survey carried out at Hopton Castle by English Heritage in 1996. The castle is constructed of the local thinly coursed rubble stone, with red sandstone dressings and all four walls are built of stand to the second floor or above. The plan is highly developed with service spaces or stairs at each corner. A fine moulded stone doorway is present in the north wall and a secondary doorway is also present in the west wall. The windows are mainly of slit or lancet type with a few larger windows on the 1st floor. The area of surrounding earthworks is quite extensive but in general, has reasonable grass cover. The main structure of the castle appears generally stable with no major structural movement observable. The exterior elevations are generally in good condition, linked to repair work carried out in 1960 by the Ministry of Works. There are some critical problems with the largely inaccessible interior elevations. Heavily obscured by vegetation and due to the friability of the local stonework, several areas are now decaying rapidly threatening partial collapse. <13>

Description of the site and its history. The castle seems to have seen no action until 1644, when the Royalists forced the Parliamentarian garrison to surrender, after which the garrison was slaughtered. The castle was then rendered incapable of defence, although the good state of the keep suggests that it may have continued in use afterwards.
Although often desribed as a motte and bailey, the mound has been cast up against the keep. There are foundations of three towers on the bailey rampart, the keep being placed centrally within the rectangular bailey. To the SW is a second, outer bailey or ward. <15>

Geophysical survey carried out at Hopton Castle in 2005 by Stratascan in conjunction with an English Heritage led Heritage Lottery Fund bid. A resistivity survey and detailed magnetic survey was carried out over an area of 3.2 ha followed by a ground penetrating radar survey on targeted areas of interest. The survey shows a complex of anomalies surrounding the castle. Many of these are associated with visible structural features. Some of these relate to former buildings, particularly areas within the bailey which may have been used for an industrial purpose. The area north of the keep may also contain structures of an industrial nature. <16>

An archaeological & architectural analysis of the tower was undertaken in 2006. The ‘keep’ had no adjacent structures apart from the porch burnt down during the Civil War siege, the scar for which can be seen above the door. The only entrance is on the north side; requiring either a stepped access or a bridge across the ditch. The building is positioned diagonal to the general line of the surrounding earthworks. It consisted of two storeys with a third mezzanine floors above in the SW corner, with no indication of cellarage below. There appears to have been a construction break at first floor level, although it is considered that only one substantial phase of building was undertaken. Architecturally it was backwards looking externally, but sophisticated and modern internally.->

-> The ground floor interior comprised a small inner lobby, before entering the main body of the building probably through an arched doorway, now lost. Smaller rooms and recesses led off this large hall, mainly within the thickness of the walls. A fireplace is apparent in the western wall of the hall. In the eastern ‘turret’ are corbel-vaulted chambers or closets, the south western one including a doorway into a mural passage leading to a garderobe. West of the small lobby, a door led into the north-western turret where the stairs were positioned, leading to the top of the tower and a likely wall-walk. On the first floor the stairs lead to a barrel vaulted lobby area, leading into the main first floor room, with fireplace again on the western wall. Further rooms were formed in the corner turrets, with a grand doorway constructed for the entrance to the north-eastern turret and the largest rooms within the south-eastern turret. A platform on the southern wall was likely to form a garderobe, and a possible wardrobe was located on the western wall. Canted corner at this level provided sophisticated structural support. At the south end of the west wall of the main first floor hall, was access to a secondary stair or vice that rose to the mezzanine chamber above. The mezzanine had an unusual narrow plan, with the fireplace positioned at the extreme eastern end of the south wall. Evidence suggests there were rooms at the top of the other three turrets, though the northwestern on would have been tht top of the main stairs. <19>

In August 2005 a 4m by 4m trial trench was excavated in the centre of Hopton Castle Tower, through a deep deposit of collapsed and frost shattered rubble to a maximum depth of 2.1m. At the base of the deposit a mortar floor in very good condition was discovered. <20>

Earthworks survey of castle and surrounding area. <21>

Condition inspection of Hopton Castle tower undertaken in order to inform a programme of repair and consolidation. The architectural features of each external and internal elevation were observed and and their condition described. The castle is constructed from load bearing masonry throughout, with random coursed flaggy siltstone and ashlar sandstone dressing to quoins, string courses, structural openings and related architectural features. Considerable weathering has occurred to the siltstone, which was originally protected by coarse lime based render. The exposed wall core appears very random in nature. Wall tops are irregular throughout, and loss of face stone occurs around many structural openings and below lower string courses. Externally, loss of lower quoin stones, often by robbing out has exposed more fragile siltstone to weathering and livestock damage. The general floor level is raised above the original stone platform due to debris from past collapses and stabilisation work. Timber propping and shoring had previously been added in the recent past to stabilise areas where collapse was considered likely. It was recommended that repair and consolidation of the structure occurs at the earliest possible time. <22>

An interim conservation statement was prepared for Hopton Castle in 2002. It sought to establish a view of the significance of the castle, and to offer a preliminary opinion about how that significance might be retained and enhanced by a programme of conservation works. <23a>

A full conservation management plan was prepared in 2006 for Hopton Castle in association with a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, to provide Hopton Castle Preservation Trust with guidance on the future conservation, management and enhancement of public understanding and enjoyment of the site. Includes a brief history of the castle. <23>

Record of management issues and reccommendation made in c.1996 <24>

Results from 2009 geophysical surveys for Time Team show a number of anomalies which relate to structures: a corner tower within the inner bailey likely to be contemporary with Hopton Castle; wall foundations associated with a 17th century building; and a number of other rectangular features which have the potential for being ‘outbuildings’. A defensive bank and ditches was also been detected. <25>

2009 Time Team investigation at Hopton Castle, with the excavation of 7 trenches. Trench 1 across the elongated mounds (PRN 21691) found both bank were likely to have been constructed between the late 15th and early 17th century. Charcoal deposits below the banks possibly indicate burning of structural timbers during the Civil War. A dry stone wall below the southern bank is suggestive of a relatively slight build, however a mortared wall under the north bank was interpreted as part of medieval entrance way defences, by the medieval moat. Evidence of post medieval re-landscaping was also found following the disuse of the medieval defences, but possibly prior to Civil War activities. Trench 2, 3 & 6 located across the area of the ‘new brick building’ (PRN 21678) found evidence for the cellar associated with stone and brick demolition layers. The wall was stone built with pale yellow sandy mortar, and with facing on the interior. Evidence of robber cuts were found. In addition in trench 2 a further north-south aligned stone wall was encountered, which possibly turned west, along with a post hole to the south, which likely pre-dates the wall. Trench 3 also encountered demolition deposits which included stone roof tiles and a layer containing large fragments of charcoal, a gold coin of James I (1623-4) and an iron canon ball. North of the cellar an L-shaped deposit, possibly representing a clay wall foundation or a beam slot, or possibly the fill of a robber cut was also encountered. In Trench 6, east of the cellar wall, the western edge of a possible ditch running around the motte was encountered, containing animal bone and post medieval pottery. Trench 4 positioned over the possible corner tower (PRN 21677) revealed a dry stone wall just beneath the turf, the interior faced with pale yellow plaster. Within the tower demolition deposits reached 1.27m, with stone fragments and voids increasing in size further down. Very little brick or CBM was encountered. Trench 5 was positioned on the eastern edge of a possible structure directly in front of the motte. The earthworks here did not correspond with any underlying wall. Further demolition layers were encountered, however these contained much less rubble to other parts of the site. Trench 7 located on possible building structures (PRN 21695) uncovered two rough cobbled surfaces either side of a NE-SW aligned water channel, overlain by a stony deposit and demolition debris. <26>

Photographed during aerial survey between 2009 and 2012. <28>-<33>

Photographed from the air by Chris Musson in 1996. <34>

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken intermittently during ground disturbing works undertaken as part of restoration work at Hopton Castle, Shropshire. The masonry ruins of the tower and surrounding earthworks form Scheduled Ancient Monument County No. 23. The tower, while having the appearance of a medieval castle sited on a motte, is generally considered to date to c.1300, built as a high-status tower house by the de Hoptons. ->

-> The watching brief focussed on excavation to remove hundreds of tons of talus / tumbled stone from the interior of the tower (the Undercroft), most of which appears to have been purposefully stacked within the tower during stabilisation works by the Ministry of Works in the 1950s /60s. Monitoring the removal of the material from inside the tower shed little light on the history of the building, although recesses were opened up, the fireplace revealed and the single garderobe located in the south wall of the Undercroft. ->

-> The main objective was to locate the original floor level of the Undercroft to ensure its protection or, alternatively locate a suitable ‘finished floor level’ to be used for the purpose of the restoration work. No internal floor was uncovered but, following the removal of most of the backfilled material, a c.0.3m wide stone plinth was located, which seemed to indicate that a slabbed floor may have been laid at this level. The imprint of the hearth slab in front of the west wall fireplace at the same level also substantiated this theory. However this evidence was not consistent across the Undercroft. Areas of deeper backfill were exposed towards the southeast corner and excavation for drainage in December 2010 corroborated the substantial depth of the backfill, which is worthy of further investigation should the opportunity arise. ->

-> The history of Hopton Castle and the final occupation of the tower are strongly linked to the Civil War period, when Hopton was an isolated Parliamentary outpost in a Royalist county. Hopton was commanded by Samuel More, the author of the diary which gives an account of the month-long siege and eventual defeat of the castle. More recounted the Royalists getting into the tower ‘through a house of office on the south side’; the ‘house of office’ being the garderobe. Clearly the most exciting discovery during the watching brief was the garderobe chute chamber and the evidence of breaching during the Civil War siege, which corroborates Samuel More’s account of 1664. The extremely well constructed chamber remains intact, other than the breaching, and, although gated for safety, will provide visual evidence of an important period in England’s history for future generations.->

-> Excavation within the Undercroft and the Garderobe chamber showed that the tower had been cleared in the past. Few finds, other than the discarded structural material retrieved from the chamber, date to the occupation of the castle up to the Civil War period. Both the excavation of the Undercroft and the Garderobe chamber produced finds, which although of interest, came from mainly insecure contexts. ->

-> The most interesting finds are the collection of clay pipe bowls and stems recovered principally from the garderobe chamber. The bowls are typical of those being produced at Broseley during the second half of the seventeenth century and first two decades of the eighteenth century. In view of the important link between the garderobe chute chamber and the history of the castle, it is tempting to regard the c.1630-1640 clay tobacco pipe recovered while hand cleaning over the camber floor as having been discarded at this location by the occupants of the castle during the siege itself. However, the deposit removed from the chamber floor was not cess-pit material and more likely to be a build-up of organic matter from rotting vegetation after the chamber had been last cleared out and the door sealed. The pipe bowl may have been lodged and missed during previous emptying of the chamber. A further four pipe bowls of similar early to mid-seventeenth century date were recovered from the general fill of the chamber, presumably discarded or fallen from above. The dating of these early pipes certainly coincides with the Civil War period of the castle’s history. The bowls may have been lodged between floorboards at mezzanine level, only to tumble into the chute together with the structural material. The later 17th to early 18th century clay pipe bowls indicate human presence, if only transient, in the tower. Similarly the slipware found while cleaning over the stone plinth in the northeast corner of the Undercroft is likely to have been discarded at this location as opposed to being imported. However, there was no evidence of permanent occupation within the tower after the Civil War period, although an indication of temporary shelter sought in the blind recess of the Undercroft is suggested by the deposit of calcined bone found following removal of the talus. The collection of building material recovered while clearing the garderobe chamber, while not being in-situ, has nevertheless shed some light on past construction methodology in the tower. <35>

The castle, with internal dimensions of 28 by 30ft. and built to much the same form as Acton Burnell, has details which suggest a date of c.1300. although furnished with surrounding earthworks or curtain walls, it differs from the solar towers in having a ground-floor entry, and it shows little concern with defence and much with comfort and convenience. It also makes some attempt at display, for the entrance doorway was 'clearly designed as a frontispiece to impress the visitor'. The main accomodation was on the first floor, entered through a lobby at the head of the stairs, but the ground floor was probably residential too, well lit and provided with a fireplace. On a mezzanine second floor a small room was probably the owner's inner chamber. Plan and reconstruction drawing. <37>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2019. <38>

Shropshire Archives hold a watercolour of Hopton Castle (Reference
6001/372/3/19), by Reverend Edward Williams, dated to 1791. A small-scale thumbnail can be found via their online catalogue: https://www.shropshirearchives.org.uk/collections/getrecord/CCA_X6001_19_372C_19 <39>

Brief guidebook to Hopton Castle, c.2012. <40>

Additional references from NRHE. ->

-> Salop Parish Register Hereford Diocese 2 1901 Hopton Castle ii. ->

-> Cornerstone: the magazine of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings [SPAB] vol.30(1), 2009, p.12: Note on the repair works. <41>
The earthwork remains of the castle mound, bailey and part of the moat were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the RCHME: Marches Uplands Mapping Project. To the west and NW were the extensive remains of numerous fields of ridge and furrow which may well be associated with the castle site. These have been recorded separately. CUCAP EN 66 (NMR SO 3677/1) 03-OCT-1978. <41a>

Sources

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