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Historic England Research Records

Shrewsbury Castle

Hob Uid: 68045
Location :
Shropshire
Shrewsbury
Grid Ref : SJ4941112789
Summary : The castle originated as a motte and bailey in the late 11th century though none of the original castle survives. A stone castle with a great hall and towers was built circa 1300 by Edward I. The castle was altered and added to during Civil War. In 1780-90 Telford made further alterations and restoration work was also made by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1926. Scheduled.
More information : (SJ 49451285) Castle (NR) (AD 1068) (NAT)
(SJ 49491286) Postern (NR)
(SJ 49441288) Keep (NR)
(SJ 49481281) Watch Tower (NR) (1)

Ordericus Vitalis speaks of a King's Castle at Shrewsbury in 1068, and Forrest suggests that this was actually begun by William the Conqueror, and completed by Roger de Montgomery (the first Norman Earl of Shrewsbury), 1070-83. No trace of this first castle remains, says Forrest, but the stone face-walls of the mound. (2).

VCH lists the early castle as `Mount with one or more attached courts' (Class E). An artificial oval mount, 35ft high, the scarp of which merges into the scarp of the hill on the east. The top of the hill provides the bailey, around which a large portion of the low vallum remains supporting the foundation of the wall constructed by Roger de Montgomery. (3)

Edward I, built a castle here about 1300, with a great hall (2). This had a low basement for stores, and a three-storey tower at each end. The outer walls were over 8' thick, and the inner walls ca.5.5' thick. In the time of Elizabeth, the roofs and floors had gone and only the walls were left standing.

In 1642, when used as a fortress during the Civil War, the Great Hall's walls were raised to 10ft, it was refloored, and a new floor was inserted, forming an upper storey. The main tower and gateway giving access to the river east of the main building were built in 1642. (2)

Considerable alterations were made about 1790 by Telford who built the watch tower known as Laura's Tower (SJ 41 SE 250) (2) Restorations were also made in 1926 by Sir Charles Nicholson. (4-5)

Extant remains:
a) Keep or Great Hall with low basement for stores and a three-storey tower at each end built c. 1300. The outer walls were over 8ft thick and the inner c. 5.5ft. Restored in 1642 with a new inserted floor forming an upper storey and new stone mullioned and transomed square windows. (2)

The hall is a rectangular structure of several dates with two circular towers at the outer angles. Medieval details recut and modernized point to a date near 1300 (6)

(See GP AO/60/233/5.) (7)

b) Postern or watergate giving access to the river on the east side of the castle was built in 1642 (2)

The Postern is a rectangular building 2 storeys high with a three-light mullioned window and a rounded arch (See GP AO/60/233/6) (7)

c) Main gateway or entrance arch is probably 12th century although repaired (2)(6) (See GP AO/60/233/7)

d) Bailey wall is probably 12th c., as is the main gateway, although both have been repaired. The base of the wall enclosing the
summit of the motte on the side towards the bailey is of the same type.

The walling of the outer bailey probably dates from 1223. The substantial stretch of ashlar with a chamfered plinth on the North side of Water Lane represents the south side of the outer bailey. The position of the west side of the bailey is uncertain.

An annotated resurvey of the castle has been made.(7)

SJ 494 128. Shrewsbury Castle. Scheduled. (8)

Listed by Cathcart King. (9)

Remains of castle. Largely late C12-c1300, with various later modifications. Mostly red sandstone.
PLAN: inner bailey wall, gateway and main hall survive. Curtain wall surrounds the inner bailey, built of coursed and squared red sandstone in several phases between 1164 and 1300. Walkway and crenellations survive in part. Gateway also late C12, with roll moulded outer archway with C17 wood panelled doors. Main hall in NW of bailey: begun in 1164 and enlarged 1300 and 1596. Grade I. (10)

Constucted before 1086 when 51 properties were demolished to make room for the castle. At that time it was the property of Roger of Montgomery, earl of Shrewsbury, but with the fall of his son, Robert of Belleme in 1102, it passed to the Crown and remained so until the 16th century. Only in 1138, when the sheriff joined the King's enemies, in 1215 when Llewellyn captured both town and castle, and during the Barons wars of Edward III, was the castle temporarily out of royal control. With the conclusion of the Welsh wars, the castle fell into decay in the 14th century, and little was done to remedy its state. (11)

Sources :
Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : OS 25" 1927
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Figs. :
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Vol(s) :
Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details : (Forrest HE)
Page(s) : 206-7
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Plates :
Vol(s) : 7 - 1920-26
Source Number : 11
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 834-37
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Vol(s) :
Source Number : 3
Source :
Source details : (JCW and EA Downman)
Page(s) : 298-9
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Plates :
Vol(s) : 1908
Source Number : 4
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 265
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Plates :
Vol(s) : 1958
Source Number : 5
Source :
Source details : Owen H and Blakaway JB, 1825. The History of Shrewsbury 1 Illus. facing 38.
Page(s) :
Figs. :
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Vol(s) :
Source Number : 6
Source :
Source details : (CA Ralegh Radford)
Page(s) : 15-19
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 56 - 1957-8
Source Number : 7
Source :
Source details : F1 DS 25-OCT-60
Page(s) :
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Vol(s) :
Source Number : 8
Source :
Source details : English Heritage SAM List Salop
Page(s) : 13
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Source Number : 9
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 430
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Plates :
Vol(s) : 2
Source Number : 10
Source :
Source details : District of Shrewsbury, 17-Nov-1995
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Monument Types:
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Built between 1069-1086
Monument End Date : 1186
Monument Start Date : 1069
Monument Type : Motte And Bailey
Evidence : Earthwork
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date :
Monument End Date : 1199
Monument Start Date : 1150
Monument Type : Castle, Gatehouse, Curtain Wall
Evidence : Sub Surface Deposit, Structure
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : stone castle built by 1300
Monument End Date : 1300
Monument Start Date : 1300
Monument Type : Castle, Bailey, Great Hall, Gate
Evidence : Extant Building
Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : altered
Monument End Date : 1645
Monument Start Date : 1642
Monument Type : Castle, Great Hall
Evidence : Building, Extant Building
Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : altered
Monument End Date : 1790
Monument Start Date : 1780
Monument Type : Castle, Great Hall
Evidence : Extant Building
Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : altered
Monument End Date :
Monument Start Date : 1926
Monument Type : Castle, Great Hall
Evidence : Ruined Building
Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : Altered 1985
Monument End Date : 1985
Monument Start Date : 1985
Monument Type : Museum
Evidence : Extant Building

Components and Objects:
Related Records from other datasets:
External Cross Reference Source : NBR Index Number
External Cross Reference Number : 94324
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : Salop 99
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 455424
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SJ 41 SE 45
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type :

Related Activities :
Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date :
End Date :
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Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1960-10-25
End Date : 1960-10-25
Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1960-10-31
End Date : 1960-10-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1961-10-05
End Date : 1961-10-05
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EVALUATION
Start Date : 1990-01-01
End Date : 1990-12-31
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Activity type : DESK BASED ASSESSMENT
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End Date : 2000-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
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End Date : 2005-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY
Start Date : 2005-01-01
End Date : 2005-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EVALUATION
Start Date : 2009-01-01
End Date : 2009-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EVALUATION
Start Date : 2010-01-01
End Date : 2010-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 2015-01-01
End Date : 2015-12-31
Associated Activities :
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Start Date : 2017-01-01
End Date : 2017-12-31