Shrewsbury Castle
| Shrewsbury Castle | |
|---|---|
| Shrewsbury, Shropshire | |
 Shrewsbury Castle | |
  Shrewsbury Castle | |
| Coordinates | 52°42′40″N 02°44′58″W / 52.71111°N 2.74944°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Shropshire Council |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1070 |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Designated | 10 January 1953 |
| Reference no. | 1246877 |
Shrewsbury Castle is a red sandstone castle in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It stands on a hill in the neck of the meander of the River Severn on which the town originally developed. The castle, directly above Shrewsbury railway station, is a Grade I listed building.[1]
History
A castle was ordered on the site by
Empress Maud during the period known as The Anarchy.[2]
The castle was briefly held by
Elizabeth I and passed to the ownership of the town council c.1600. The castle was extensively repaired in 1643 during the Civil War and was briefly besieged by Parliamentary forces from Wem before its surrender. It was acquired by Sir Francis Newport in 1663.[2] Further repairs were carried out by Thomas Telford on behalf of Sir William Pulteney, M.P. for Shrewsbury, after 1780[1] to the designs of the architect Robert Adam.[4]
The Shropshire Horticultural Society purchased the castle from a private owner, then
attacked by the IRA on 25 August 1992 and extensive damage to the collection and to some of the Castle resulted.[5] The museum was officially re-opened by Princess Alexandra on 2 May 1995.[6][7] In 2019 it was rebranded as the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum.[8]
In 2019 and 2020 an
medieval pottery and two arrow heads or crossbow-bolt heads.[9] Excavations in 2020 failed to locate St Michael's chapel, but did recover evidence of 'high-status feasting', including the bones of a pike and possibly a swan.[10]
Collection
The museum combines the collections of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and the Shropshire Yeomanry.[5] hosting items such as a lock of Napoleon Bonaparte's hair,[11] the Grand Admiral's Baton belonging to Karl Dönitz,[12] and the Victoria Crosses of Captain Alfred Kirke Ffrench,[13] Private Charles Irwin[14] and Sergeant Major Harold Whitfield.[15]
Laura's Tower overlooks the surrounding townscape and countryside and is often used as a backdrop for functions and weddings.[16]
See also
- History of Shrewsbury
- Listed buildings in Shrewsbury (southeast central area)
- King's Shropshire Light Infantry
- Ludlow Castle, another English Marches stronghold
- One Corpse Too Many - historical fiction based on 1138 battle between King Stephen and supporters of the Empress Maud
References
- ^ a b c d e Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1246877)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
- ^ a b c "Shrewsbury Castle". Castle Wales. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Historic Timeline". Original Shrewsbury. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ Gareth Williams, The Hidden Hand of Genius; Robert Adam & The Pulteney Estate in Shropshire, in Georgian Group Journal vol. XXIV pp. 65–80
- ^ a b "Firebomb attack at army museum linked to IRA". The Independent. 26 August 1992. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Shropshire Regimental Museum". Military History Monthly. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Royal praise for rebuilt museum". Shropshire Star (Midday ed.). 3 May 1995. p. 8.
- ^ "Soldiers of Shropshire". Soldiers of Shropshire - About Us page, accessed 5 July 2021.
- ^ "'Hugely important': Shrewsbury Castle excavation reveals finds of national significance". Shropshire Star. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Lost Shrewsbury chapel remains hidden as team 'digs in the wrong castle'". Shropshire Star. 26 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Napoleon's hair kept at Shrewsbury Castle". 8 December 2023 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Matters, Military History (10 November 2010). "The Shropshire Regimental Museum | Military History Matters". www.military-history.org.
- ^ "Grave locations of holders of the Victoria Cross: Brompton". Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ "Grave locations of holders of the Victoria Cross: Northern Ireland". Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ "No. 30675". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 May 1918. p. 5556.
- ^ "Shrewsbury Castle Wedding Photography". True Reflections. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
External links
- Official site with visiting information and Shropshire Regimental Museum
- Shropshire Regimental Museum collections
- Dig diaries from the 2019 excavations
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