Hopton Castle facts for kids
Hopton Castle is an old castle ruin in the village of the same name, located in Shropshire, England. It's about halfway between the towns of Knighton and Craven Arms. This historic site was even featured on the British TV show Time Team in 2010.
The castle has been a ruin since the early 1700s. However, between 2006 and 2011, it was partly fixed up. It officially reopened to visitors in December 2011, with the Duke of Gloucester there for the special event.
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The Castle's Early Days
Hopton Castle might have been built in the 1100s. It probably started as a "motte and bailey" castle. This means it had a large earth mound (the motte) with a wooden tower on top, and a fenced-in area below (the bailey). It was likely built by one of the Hopton family members.
Later, in the 1260s, during a time of fighting called the Barons' War, Walter de Hopton might have built the stone castle we see today. The bailey area was strengthened with stone walls, and a rectangular, two-story tower called a keep was added.
The last Walter Hopton died during the Wars of the Roses, another period of conflict in England. The castle then passed to the Corbet family through marriage. Eventually, it went to Sir Henry Wallop when he married Elizabeth Corbet.
Hopton Castle During the Civil War
Sir Henry Wallop made Hopton Castle a strong point for the Parliament at the start of the English Civil War. This war was fought between those who supported the King and those who supported Parliament. Sir Henry died before he could fight, and his son, Robert Wallop, took over.
In 1644, Hopton Castle was one of the few places in the west of England held by Parliament. Sir Michael Woodhouse, leading about 500 soldiers, attacked the castle. It was defended by only about thirty Roundhead soldiers, led by Samuel More.
The Siege and Surrender
After a three-week siege, the attackers managed to take the bailey. The entrance to the keep was set on fire. At this point, the castle's defenders surrendered to Sir Michael Woodhouse.
There are different stories about what happened next. Some accounts say that almost all the defenders were killed after they surrendered. However, when Time Team investigated the castle, they looked for evidence of a massacre but found none.
The castle was still in good condition around 1700. But soon after, it started to fall apart and became the ruin we see today.
Bringing the Castle Back to Life
Hopton Castle Preservation Trust
In November 2008, the Hopton Castle Preservation Trust took ownership of the castle. This trust was started in 2006 to help save the site. They worked hard to raise money, including a big grant from the National Lottery. This money helped pay for important work to protect the castle and make sure it has a future.
Time Team Investigation
Hopton Castle was the focus of an episode of the popular TV show Time Team. The episode, called "The Massacre in the Cellar," was part of series 17 and aired on Channel 4 on May 16, 2010.
Over three days, the Time Team archaeologists dug around the remaining castle keep. Their work helped to understand the castle's original shape and how it was built. As mentioned before, they found no evidence of a massacre, even though historical accounts suggested one.
Conservation and Repair Work
The work to fix and protect the castle ruin was a big project. It was mainly paid for by The Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage. This was the result of many years of hard work and fundraising by the Hopton Castle Preservation Trust.
The repairs involved making the walls much stronger and rebuilding parts of the stone structure. They also worked to preserve any old plaster that was still there. During this time, they found a special toilet chamber, called a garderobe. Based on what they found in this chamber, experts now think that the castle might have been broken into during the siege at this very spot.
The Team Behind the Project
- Project Manager: Rayska Heritage
- Architects: Wheatley lloyd Architects & John C Goom
- Engineers: Shire Consulting
- Archeologist: Richard K Morriss
- Contractor: Conservation Building Services Ltd
