Monument Type(s):

• BOUNDARY WALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)
• GATEHOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)
• COUNTRY HOUSE (early (circa 1700), 18th century - 1700 AD to 1799 AD)

Summary

A circa 1700 country house, with a gatehouse and boundary wall of post medieval date, which are protected by Grade II* Listing.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Description

Country house. Circa 1700, for Richard Lyster, on site of medieval castle destroyed in 1482, altered and extended in 1809-12 by George Wyatt (1782-1856) for Col. Richard Lyster and further altered and extended in 1824-28 for Henry Lyster and his wife Lady Charlotte Ashley Cooper. Coursed Alberbury breccia rubble with grey sandstone ashlar dressings; hipped slate roof. 5-bay C17 house, north-west front remodelled and north-east wing added in 1809-12, south-east (entrance) front remodelled and porch added, north-east wing extended to south-east large circular tower added to south-west and service buildings added 1824-28; remodellings in a Tudor Gothic style. Basement, 2 storeys and attic, and 3 storeys. South-east (entrance) front: chamfered plinth, cornice, and coped parapet; 2 gabled dormers with 4-centred 2-light casements; pairs of brick ridge stacks on rear range off-centre to left and right, each with 5 octagonal brick shafts and external brick end stack to left. Central block of 1:3:1 bays; wooden cross-casements with chamfered reveals and returned hoodmoulds; central 3-storey break (1824-28) with trefoil-headed panelled buttresses, first-floor cill string, cornice to battlemented parapet, and brick end stacks, each with 5 octagonal brick shafts; central second-floor window with 2 four-centred lights, Y-tracery, chamfered reveals, and returned hoodmould; first-floor canted bay window with 1:4:1 four-centred arched lights, frieze with plain shields, string courses, battlemented parapet, and flanking lancets with cinquefoil heads and hoodmoulds with uncarved stops; 3 steps up to deeply recessed 4-centred moulded arch with pair of nail-studded boarded doors, trefoil-panelled spandrels, flanking trefoil-panelled buttresses, moulded cornice, and pierced parapet with plain shields. Octagonal tower to left with chamfered one-light openings, and slit opening in battlemented parapet. Projecting gabled wing (1824-28) to right with plinth, cornice and parapet, and octagonal corner turrets with chamfered offsets, string course, corbelled-out battlemented parapet and slit openings on each floor; 2-light attic casement and first-floor cross-casement, both with returned hoodmoulds, 4-centred arched ground-floor window consisting of 2 four-centred arched lights with glazing bars, cusped panelled tracery, and returned hoodmould. Right-hand return front: 3 bays to left with gabled dormers, first-floor cross-windows, and 4-centred arched ground floor windows consisting of 2 four-centred arched lights with glazing bars, cusped panelled tracery, and returned hoodmoulds; 3-storey square tower (Wyatt) to right with battlemented parapet, 2 second-floor 2-light casements with hoodmoulds, and 2-storey canted bay with first-floor mullioned windows, those to sides blind, and ground-floor tripartite, glazing bar sash with flanking blind windows (evidence of probable intention to have ground-floor mullioned windows too - see mullion stubs). Rear: 1:3:1 bays, central full-height half-octagonal bay; 3-bay ashlar loggia to left with moulded Tudor-arches, plain shields in spandrels, and pierced battlemented parapet; 3-storey 2-bay square tower to left with first- and second-floor casements and ground-floor glazing bar sashes; large circular tower to right with brick dressings, corbelled-out battlemented parapet and irregularly placed cross-windows and narrow slit openings. 2-storey service block to south-west; red brick dressings; cornice and stepped parapet, and projecting square corner towers with plinths, corbelled-out battlemented parapets and slit openings; 4-bay centre, 4-pane sashes with chamfered reveals; porch to left with chamfered entrance, flanking buttresses, and corbelled-out battlemented parapet. Lead downpipes and rainwater heads throughout. Stable courtyard: coursed Alberbury breccia with red sandstone ashlar dressings and grey sandstone ashlar chamfered coping; 2 sides of a square with gatehouse to south-west; 2 square turrets in south-east range with string courses, battlemented parapets and slit openings flanking blocked former depressed-arched carriageway, now with inserted reused C13 doorway consisting of moulded arch, hoodmould with carved stops, and nail-studded boarded door with strap hinges possibly introduced from White Abbey (qv) or Alberbury Castle (qv); gatehouse in south-west range with corbelled-out battlemented parapet, central depressed-archway with hoodmould, pair of nail-studded doors with strap hinges, and flanking rectangular windows with chamfered reveals and returned hoodmoulds; flight of 15 stone steps adjoining the south-east range with trefoil-arcaded balustrade, chamfered coping, and trefoil-panelled piers with urns. Interior: mainly late C17 and early C18, and early C19. Hall; early C18 fittings including bolection-moulded panelling with dado rail, fireplace with bolection-moulded surround and panel above with flanking pilasters, doors with 8 raised and fielded panels, panelled window shutters and probably early C19 plaster dentil cornice and wreathed ceiling rose; left-hand ground-floor room with early C18 fittings including bolection moulded panelling, dado rail, moulded cornice, and bolection-moulded fireplace surround; ground-floor corridor with C18 bolection-moulded panelling too; ground-floor left-band rear room with C19 panelling and Cl7 fireplace, heavily carved with foliage trails; pair of dragons in frieze, guilloche-decorated band, carved cornice and triangular pediment with pair of trumpet-blowing figures in the tympanum; ground-floor right-hand rear room: saloon by Wyatt with curved corners, moulded plinth, enriched dado, plaster panels with reeded surrounds, acanthus-enriched cornice, enriched soffit with paterae and Tudor flower, plaster ceiling rose, door architraves with bay-leaf ornament and corner paterae, panelled window architraves, and 3-bay screen to central ground-floor rear room with Ionic columns, entablature and segmental recess above; panelled sliding doors to central ground-floor rear room, also probably decorated by Wyatt with enriched frieze and Tudor flower ornament; staircase hall by Wyatt: acanthus frieze to ground and first floors, 4-flight rectangular well staircase with partial cantilevering, open string, cast iron square section balusters, ramped moulded handrail, and wreathed newel post with curtail; reused probably late C16 panelling in lobby with square-in-square motif and carved foliage trails; ground-floor right-hand front room (probably 1824-28) in a Gothic revival style with marble fireplace consisting of depressed moulded arch with trefoil-panelled spandrels, flanking twisted shafts and frieze with shields and Tudor-flower ornament, and Gothic panelled doors, including pair of large doors to saloon with flanking Tudor-arched recesses, heavy Tudor-arched pelments with pendants and battlementing; service wing has Cl9 C17-style panelling with fluted arches above, and C17-style staircase with alternating turned and twisted balusters, moulded handrail, and carved square newel posts; C19 C17-style back staircase with alternating turned and twisted balusters, moulded handrail, and carved square newel posts; central first-floor room with re-ordered C18 bolection-moulded dado panelling, and C17 fireplace heavily carved with foliage trails, pair of dragons in frieze and guilloche-enriched cornice. Detached service block (qv) to north-west. The castle is an interesting example of bow an early C19 architect like George Wyatt (son of Charles) conceived classical interiors for a Gothic building. The designs were exhibited at the R. A. in 1809 "as about to be carried out" and in 1812 as "lately executed". VCH, Vol VIII (1968), pp201-2; Buildings of England, p236; Colvin, p939; Burke's and Savills Guide to Country Houses, Vol II, Hereford, Shropshire, Warwicks and Worcester, Ed. Peter Reid, p111 <2>

The Medieval castle at Rowton was raised to the ground by Llewellyn in 1482. No trace remains. The present house was built on, or close to, the site soon after 1696, but the original exterior has been largely masked by early 19th century additions and alterations. <3>

In 1086, the manor of Rowton was held by Elmund's son, Alward. See source for all who held the manor throughout its history. The will of Richard Lyster dated 1696 stipulated that his executors should spend £1000 "..in building a house at Rowton 'upon the bank where the old castle stands, or near thereunto.'" (The source of the reference to the castle is given as record No. 49/476 at the Shropshire County Record Office). The entry continues by stating that, '[t]he provisions of the will appear to have been carried out in the next few years, but no trace can now be found of any structure which might have formed part of the medieval castle.' <4>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2007. <8><9>

There appear to have been two major phases of works, the first for Richard Lyster, mainly by the architect George Wyatt (1782-1856). He was no relation to the far more famous Wyatt dynasty of architects, but the son of Charles Wyatt, a cement manufacturer; on inheriting his father’s wealth he gave up practice and lived on the proceeds. Subsequently, Richard Lyster’s son inherited Rowton Castle and married Lady Charlotte Ashley Cooper in 1824 and, according to an account of 1853, ‘since which period the castle and grounds have been greatly improved and rendered delightfully elegant’. In 1941 Rowton Castle was bought by the Royal Normal College for the Blind; the college had been forced out of their London home because of the bombing and after temporary relocations moved to Rowton Castle. New buildings were added but the College suffered from a major fire in 1953 which led to the acquisition of Albrighton Hall as a satellite campus. The Rowton Castle site continued to be developed but in 1978 the College moved to Hereford. Rowton Castle was empty and disused for several years after the College left but in 1986 work began on its conversion to a luxury hotel – and this opened to the public in April 1989. <11>

Additional references from NRHE. <12>
In 1086, the manor of Rowton was held by Alward, son of Almund. A castle thought to be near the current site was recorded in 1282 and later destroyed by the Welsh. There is no evidence of this building on the site today, however. In the 1460s the Lyster family built another castle or house - however its exact location isn't noted. Any building remains on the site that were present at the time of the Civil War were destroyed then or shortly after. In circa 1700 Richard Lyster built a new mansion on or near the site. <12b>

In this online digitised version of Camden's 'Britannia', originally published in 1607, he states the following: 'More Northward Caurse castle standeth, which was the Baronie of Sir Peter Corbet, from whom it came to the Barons of Tafford, and Routon castle neere unto it, the most ancient of all the rest, toward the West borders of the shire, not farre from Severn, which castle sometimes belonged to the Corbets, and now to the ancient familie of the Listers. Before time it was the possession of John le Strange of Knocking, in despite of whom Lhewellin prince of Wales laid even with the ground, as we read in the life of Sir Fulke Fitz-Warin.' <12c>

This online digitised version of 'The Antiquities of Shropshire: Volume VII' by Rev. R.W. Eyton and originally published in 1858, dictates the history of the manor of Rowton from 1086 until 1317. <12d>

There doesn't appear to be clear consensus as to whether a castle existed at Rowton during the medieval period, prior to the construction of the current building on the site. Of the sources that suggest there was a medieval castle here, there are conflicting dates as to when it was destroyed. It is possible that sources which claim a castle existed to be later destroyed by the Welsh had misinterpreted Camden's entry in 'Britannia' (see source 10). Camden may have in fact been referring to Ruyton Castle, also in Shropshire. Recorder's comments Kathryn Hay, 05-JAN-11. <12>

Sources

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