Ludlow Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ludlow Castle |
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| Ludlow in Shropshire, England | |
Ludlow Castle from the south-east
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 Ludlow Castle
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| Coordinates | 52°22′02″N 2°43′23″W / 52.3672°N 2.7230°W |
| Grid reference | grid reference SO5086874594 |
| Site information | |
| Owner | The Earl of Powis and the Trustees of the Powis Estate |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1066–85 |
| Built by | Walter de Lacy |
| Materials | Siltstone and red sandstone |
| Events | The Anarchy, the Second Barons' War, the Wars of the Roses, the English Civil War |
Ludlow Castle is an old, ruined castle in the town of Ludlow, England. It stands on a high point overlooking the River Teme. The castle was probably started by Walter de Lacy after the Normans took over England. It was one of the first stone castles built in the country.
During the civil war in the 1100s, the castle was fought over many times. It was made stronger with a large tower and an outer wall. In the mid-1200s, Geoffrey de Geneville took over. He rebuilt parts of the castle. The castle also played a role in the Second Barons' War.
Roger Mortimer got the castle in 1301. He added even more buildings inside. Later, in 1425, Richard, Duke of York inherited it. Ludlow Castle became a key symbol for the Yorkist side during the Wars of the Roses. When Richard's son, Edward IV, became king in 1461, the castle became property of the Crown.
Ludlow Castle was chosen as the main base for the Council of Wales and the Marches. This council basically made the castle the capital of Wales. It was greatly improved during the 1500s. By the 1600s, the castle was very fancy. It hosted famous events, like the first show of John Milton's play Comus.
During the English Civil War in the 1640s, Royalist soldiers held Ludlow Castle. But a Parliamentarian army attacked and took it in 1646. After this, the castle's valuable items were sold. A small group of soldiers stayed there for a while.
When King Charles II returned to the throne in 1660, the council was brought back. The castle was repaired. However, Ludlow never fully recovered from the civil war. When the council was finally closed in 1689, the castle was left to fall apart.
Henry, 1st Earl of Powis, rented the castle from the Crown in 1772. He worked on the ruined grounds. His brother-in-law, Edward, 1st Earl of Powis, bought the castle in 1811. A large house was built in the outer area. But the rest of the castle was mostly left as ruins. It became a popular spot for visitors and artists.
After 1900, plants growing on the castle were removed. Over the next century, the Powis Estate and government groups repaired it a lot. Today, in the 21st century, the Earl of Powis still owns Ludlow Castle. It is open for people to visit.
The castle's design shows its long history. It has a mix of different building styles. The castle is about 500 by 435 feet (152 by 133 m) (152 by 133 meters) in size. It covers almost 5 acres (2.0 ha) (2 hectares). The outer area has the Castle House building. This is now used for offices and homes by the Powis Estate. The inner area is separated by a deep ditch. It holds the Great Tower, Solar block, Great Hall, and Great Chamber block. There are also additions from the 1500s. A rare round chapel is also there, like a famous church in Jerusalem.
History of Ludlow Castle
The Castle's Beginnings (1000s)
Ludlow Castle was likely started by Walter de Lacy around 1075. Walter came to England in 1066 with William fitzOsbern. This was during the Norman conquest. FitzOsbern became the Earl of Hereford. He was in charge of settling the area. Many castles were built in the west to protect the border with Wales. Walter de Lacy was his second-in-command. He received many lands, especially in Herefordshire.
Walter began building a castle in the area of Stanton Lacy. It was first called Dinham Castle. Later, it became known as Ludlow. This was Walter's most important castle. It was in the middle of his new lands. It also sat at a key crossing point over the River Teme. Walter died in an accident in 1085. His son, Roger de Lacy, took over.
The castle's stone walls were added early, possibly from the 1080s. They were finished before 1115. These walls formed the inner bailey. This was a stone version of an early castle design. It had four towers and a gatehouse. A ditch was dug out of the rock on two sides. The stone dug out was used for building. This was one of the first stone castles in England. Its round shape and grand entrance tower were like older Anglo-Saxon forts. In 1096, Roger lost his lands. He had rebelled against King William II. His brother, Hugh, received them instead.
Changes in the 1100s
Hugh de Lacy died without children around 1115. King Henry I gave Ludlow Castle to Hugh's niece, Sybil. She married Pain fitzJohn, one of the King's staff. Pain used Ludlow as his main castle. He used the surrounding lands to support its defenses. Pain died in 1137 fighting the Welsh. This started a fight over who would inherit the castle.
A civil war broke out between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. Gilbert de Lacy, Roger de Lacy's son, took Ludlow Castle. King Stephen tried to get it back in 1139. He famously rescued his ally, Prince Henry of Scotland, during the siege. Gilbert still claimed the castle. A private war began between Gilbert and Joce de Dinan, another claimant. Gilbert won and took the castle back before 1153. He later left for the Middle East. Ludlow was left to his son, Hugh de Lacy.
During this time, the Great Tower was built. It was made by changing the old entrance tower. This probably happened around 1139. The old Norman castle became too small. So, between 1140 and 1177, a large outer bailey was built. This created a big open space. The castle's entrance moved from the south to the east. This faced the growing town of Ludlow. Gilbert likely built the round chapel inside. It looked like churches built by the Knights Templar.
Hugh de Lacy spent much time in Ireland. King Henry II took the castle from him. This was to make sure Hugh stayed loyal. Hugh died in Ireland in 1186. The castle went to his son, Walter. Walter was young and did not take control until 1194. When Prince John rebelled against King Richard I in 1194, Walter joined the attacks. Richard did not like this. He took Ludlow and Walter's other lands. Walter eventually bought his lands back for a very large sum in 1198.
The 1200s at the Castle
In 1201, Walter de Lacy went to Ireland. His lands, including Ludlow Castle, were taken again. This was to ensure his loyalty. They were put under the control of William de Braose. Walter got his lands back later. But his arguments with royal officials led King John to seize the castle again in 1207. Walter and William both fled to Ireland. King John controlled Ludlow. Walter finally got Ludlow back in 1215. Around this time, an innermost area was built inside the castle. This created an extra private space.
In 1223, King Henry III met with the Welsh prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth at Ludlow Castle. They tried to make peace, but it failed. Henry also took over Ludlow Castle for two years. This was to make sure Walter stayed loyal. Walter later helped Henry's enemies in Ireland. He paid the King a lot of money to get his castles back. In the 1230s, Walter owed Henry a lot of money. He gave Ludlow Castle to the King as a guarantee. But he got it back before he died in 1241.
Walter's granddaughters, Maud and Margaret, were to inherit his lands. But they were not married. This made it hard for them to own property. Henry divided the lands. He gave Ludlow to Maud. She married Geoffrey de Geneville. Geoffrey was a friend of Prince Edward, who would become king. In 1260, Henry officially gave the castle to Geoffrey.
England faced the Second Barons' War in the 1260s. The rebel leader Simon de Montfort took Ludlow Castle. But King Henry's supporters, likely led by Geoffrey, quickly recaptured it. Prince Edward escaped from prison in 1265. He met his supporters at the castle. Then he started his campaign to retake the throne. Geoffrey kept the castle for the rest of the century. He built the Great Hall and the Solar block. The town walls of Ludlow also began to be built. They were linked to the castle for defense.
Ludlow in the 1300s
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Geoffrey's granddaughter, Joan, married Roger Mortimer in 1301. This gave Mortimer control of Ludlow Castle. Around 1320, Roger built the Great Chamber block. This was next to the Great Hall and Solar complex. He also built another building and added the Guardrobe Tower to the wall. Between 1321 and 1322, Mortimer lost a war. He was put in prison by King Edward II. He escaped from the Tower of London in 1323 and went into exile.
In France, Mortimer teamed up with Queen Isabella, King Edward's wife. Together, they took power in England in 1327. Mortimer became very rich. He might have hosted King Edward III at the castle in 1329. Mortimer built a new chapel in the Outer Bailey. It was named after Saint Peter. Mortimer's work at Ludlow was meant to make it a "show castle." It had a fancy, old-fashioned style. Mortimer lost power the next year and was executed. But his widow, Joan, was allowed to keep Ludlow.
Ludlow Castle slowly became the Mortimer family's most important property. But for much of the rest of the century, its owners were too young to control it. The castle was inherited by Mortimer's young grandson, Roger. He became a famous soldier in the Hundred Years' War. Roger's young son, Edmund, inherited the castle in 1358. He also fought in the war with France.
The Mortimers used a legal trick to manage the castle. This reduced their taxes. Edmund's son, another Roger, inherited the castle in 1381. But King Richard II took advantage of Roger being a minor. He controlled the Mortimer lands. When Roger died in 1398, Richard again took control of the castle. This was for the young heir, Edmund. But Richard was removed from power in 1399.
The 1400s and the Wars of the Roses
Ludlow Castle was under the control of King Henry IV. This was when the Owain Glyndŵr revolt started in Wales. Military leaders were put in charge of the castle. This was to protect it from the rebels. Roger Mortimer's younger brother, Edmund, left the castle with an army in 1402. But he was captured by the rebels. Henry refused to pay for his release. Edmund eventually married one of Glyndŵr's daughters. He died during a siege in 1409.
Henry kept the young heir to Ludlow, another Edmund Mortimer, under house arrest. He kept a strong hold on Ludlow Castle himself. This lasted until King Henry V finally gave Edmund his lands in 1413. Edmund then served the Crown overseas. Because of this, the Mortimers rarely visited the castle. This was even though the town was doing well from wool and cloth trade. Edmund got into a lot of debt. He sold his rights to his Welsh lands. He died without children in 1425.
The castle was inherited by Edmund's nephew, Richard, the Duke of York. He took control in 1432. Richard was very interested in the castle. It was the main office for his lands in the region. He might have lived there in the late 1440s and definitely in the 1450s. Richard also set up his sons, including the future Edward IV, at the castle. He might have rebuilt the northern part of the Great Tower during this time.
The Wars of the Roses began in the 1450s. This was a fight between the Lancastrian and Yorkist families. Ludlow Castle was not on the main battle lines. It was a safe place away from the fighting. One exception was the Battle of Ludford Bridge in 1459. This happened just outside Ludlow town. It was a mostly bloodless victory for the Lancastrian King Henry VI. After the battle, Edmund de la Mare was put in charge of the castle. This was to break Richard's power. Richard was killed in battle in 1460. His son Edward became king the next year. He took back control of Ludlow Castle. It became property of the Crown.
The new King Edward IV visited the castle often. He set up a council there to govern his lands in Wales. He probably did only small work on the castle. But he might have changed the Great Tower. In 1473, Edward sent his eldest son, the future Edward V, to live at the castle. His brother Prince Richard also went. The castle became the main seat of the new Council in the Marches of Wales. By now, Ludlow was more of a home than a military fort. But it was still a valuable symbol of the Yorkist family's power. Edward died in 1483. But after Henry VII became king in 1485, he kept using Ludlow Castle. He gave it to his son, Prince Arthur, in 1493. He also restarted the Council in the Marches there.
The Castle in the 1500s
In 1501, Prince Arthur came to Ludlow for his honeymoon. He was with his bride Catherine of Aragon. He died the next year. But the Council in the Marches of Wales kept working. Bishop William Smyth led it. The council became a mix of government and court. It settled arguments across Wales. It was also in charge of keeping order. Ludlow Castle became the capital of Wales.
Mary Tudor, daughter of Catherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII, stayed at Ludlow. She oversaw the Council of the Marches from 1525 to 1528. She had many servants and advisors with her. The castle was repaired a little before she arrived. The council's role was made stronger by new laws in 1534 and 1543. Some leaders, like Bishop Rowland Lee, used harsh punishments. But later leaders preferred whipping or prison. The Great Chamber was used as the council's meeting room.
The council's presence gave Ludlow Castle new life. Many other castles were falling apart then. By the 1530s, the castle needed a lot of repair. Lee started work in 1534. He used money from court fines to fix the roofs. He said the work would have cost about £500 if the Crown paid directly. The porter's lodge and prison were built in the outer area around 1552. The woods around the castle were slowly cut down.
Queen Elizabeth I appointed Sir Henry Sidney as President of the Council in 1560. He moved into Ludlow Castle. Henry was interested in old things and knightly traditions. He used his position to restore much of the castle. He added family apartments. He used the old royal rooms as a guest wing. He started a tradition of decorating the Great Hall with coats of arms. Larger windows were added. A clock was installed. Water was piped into the castle. The court facilities were improved. The 14th-century chapel became a courthouse. Mortimer's Tower became a place to store court records. The restoration was done carefully. It included a fountain, a tennis court, and walking paths.
The 1600s and the Civil War
By the 1600s, the castle was very fancy. It had an expensive household for the Council of the Marches. The future King Charles I was named Prince of Wales at the castle in 1616. Ludlow became his main castle in Wales. A theater group entertained the Council in the 1610s. In 1634, John Milton's play Comus was performed in the Great Hall. This was for John Egerton, the Earl of Bridgewater. However, the Council faced more criticism for its legal practices. In 1641, a new law took away its legal powers.
The English Civil War began in 1642. This was between King Charles's supporters and Parliament's supporters. Ludlow and the area around it supported the Royalists. A Royalist army was placed in the town. Its commander was Sir Michael Woodhouse. The castle's defenses were made stronger. Artillery was brought from a nearby ironworks. As the war went against the King in 1644, soldiers were taken from the castle to fight elsewhere. The situation got worse. In 1645, remaining soldiers were brought in to protect Ludlow itself. In April 1646, Sir William Brereton and Colonel John Birch led a Parliamentarian army to take Ludlow. After a short siege, Woodhouse surrendered the castle and town on May 26.
During the years after the war, Ludlow Castle was run by Parliamentarian governors. The first was Samuel More. There was a Royalist plan to retake the castle in 1648. But no other fighting happened. The most valuable items in the castle were removed after the siege. The rest of the fancy furniture was sold in 1650. The castle initially had soldiers. But in 1653, most weapons were sent to Hereford for safety. In 1655, the soldiers were removed. In 1659, the government was unstable. So, 100 men were sent to guard the castle again.
King Charles II returned to the throne in 1660. He brought back the Council of the Marches in 1661. But the castle never fully recovered from the war. Richard Vaughan, the Earl of Carbery, was made president. He was given £2,000 to fix the castle. From 1663 to 1665, a company of soldiers was stationed there. Their job was to protect the castle's money, contents, and local militia's ammunition. The Council of the Marches failed to become strong again. It was finally closed in 1689. This ended Ludlow Castle's role in government. Without care, the castle quickly fell apart.
Decline and Rediscovery (1700s)
The castle remained in bad shape. In 1704, its governor, William Gower, suggested taking it apart. He wanted to build a residential area there instead. His idea was not used. But by 1708, only three rooms in the main hall were still used. Many other buildings were abandoned. Most of the furniture was rotten. The writer Daniel Defoe visited in 1722. He said the castle was "in the very Perfection of Decay." Still, some rooms were used until the 1760s or 1770s. Drawings show the entrance to the inner area was still fine. Visitors also noted the round chapel was in good condition. The stone walls became covered with ivy, trees, and bushes. By 1800, the chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene was also a ruin.
Alexander Stuart, an Army captain, was the last governor. He took apart what was left of the castle in the mid-1700s. Some of the stone was used to build the Bowling Green House. This later became the Castle Inn. The north side of the outer area was used to make a bowling green. Stuart lived in a house in Ludlow. But he decorated the Great Hall with parts of the castle's old weapons. He may have charged visitors to enter.
It became popular to restore castles as private homes. The future King George II might have thought about making Ludlow livable again. But the estimated cost of £30,000 stopped him. Henry Herbert, the Earl of Powis, wanted to get the castle. In 1771, he asked the Crown about renting it. It is not clear if he wanted to take more stone from it. More likely, he wanted to turn it into a home. But a report said it was "extremely ruinous." The Crown offered a 31-year lease for £20 a year. Powis accepted in 1772, but died soon after.
Henry's son, George Herbert, kept the lease. His wife, Henrietta, built public walking paths around the castle. She also planted trees to make it look better. The castle walls were given small repairs. This usually happened when parts threatened to fall. The inside of the inner area was leveled. This cost a lot of money. The landscape also needed expensive care.
The town of Ludlow became more popular with tourists. The castle was a big attraction. Thomas Warton published a book of Milton's poems in 1785. He described Ludlow Castle and made its link to Comus famous. This made the castle known as a beautiful and grand place. Many painters drew the castle. They often changed details to make their works more dramatic.
The 1800s and More Visitors
Lord Clive, George's brother-in-law, tried to get the lease after 1803. He said his family had worked hard to restore the castle. He faced competition from the government. They thought about using the castle as a prison camp for up to 4,000 French prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars. After many talks, the prison plan was dropped. Lord Clive, now the Earl of Powis, was offered to buy the castle for £1,560. He accepted in 1811.
Between 1820 and 1828, the earl turned the old tennis court and Castle Inn into a new, grand building. It was called Castle House. It overlooked the north side of the outer area. By the 1840s, the house was rented out to important local families. The house had a drawing room, dining room, study, and servants' rooms. In 1887, it was worth £50 a year in rent.
Ludlow Castle was highly respected by people who studied old things. George Clark called it "the glory of the middle marches of Wales." He said it was "probably without rival in Britain" for its woodland setting. When Ludlow got a railway in 1852, more tourists came to the castle. Admission cost six pence in 1887. During the 1800s, plants kept growing over the castle's stone. But after a study in 1883, efforts were made to remove the ivy.
The castle was used for many things. Sheep and goats grazed in the grassy areas. These areas were also used for fox hunting meetings, sports, and farm shows. Parts of the outer area were used as a timber yard. By the 1900s, the old prison was used to store ammunition for the local volunteer army.
The 1900s and Modern Care
W. H. St John Hope and Harold Brakspear started looking into Ludlow Castle's history in 1903. They published their findings in 1909. Their work is still respected today. George Herbert, the Earl of Powis, cleared away much of the ivy and plants from the castle stone. In 1915, the castle was declared an ancient monument by the state. But the earl and the Powis estate still owned and cared for it.
The castle was looked after more carefully. In the 1910s and 1920s, large trees around the castle were cut down. Animals were removed from the inner and outer areas. This was because they were a safety risk to visitors. The 1930s saw a big effort to clear all remaining plants. The cellars were cleared by the government's Office of Works. The stable building was turned into a museum. Tourists continued to visit. Many people took day-trips in the 1920s and 1930s. This was helped by more cars being available. The open spaces inside the castle were used for football matches. In 1934, Milton's Comus was performed again at the castle. This marked 300 years since the first show.
Castle House in the outer area was rented to the diplomat Sir Alexander Stephen in 1901. He did a lot of work on the house in 1904. He made the north end bigger and more modern. This included building a billiard room and a library. He thought the work cost around £800. Castle House continued to be rented by the Powis estate to rich people until World War II. One renter, Richard Henderson, said he spent about £4,000 on the property. The rent value of the property went up from £76 to £150 over time.
During World War II, the castle was used by the Allied military. The Great Tower was used as a look-out post. United States' soldiers used the castle gardens for baseball games. Castle House became empty after its last renter died. The house was briefly taken over in 1942 by the Royal Air Force. It was turned into flats for important war workers. This caused a lot of damage, estimated at £2,000. In 1956, Castle House was returned. The Earl of Powis sold it the next year to Ludlow Borough Council for £4,000. The council then rented out the flats.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, the Department of the Environment helped the Powis estate. They lent government staff to repair the castle. However, visitor numbers were falling. This was partly because the castle was in bad shape. The estate found it harder to pay for upkeep. After 1984, English Heritage took over the department's role. A more organized plan was put in place. The Powis Estate would keep owning the castle. They would also improve visitor access. In return, English Heritage would give £500,000. This was for a shared repair program. This included fixing parts of the wall that fell in 1990. The visitor's center was also improved. Small archaeological digs were done in the outer area between 1992 and 1993.
Ludlow Castle Today (2000s)
In the 21st century, John Herbert, the current Earl of Powis, owns Ludlow Castle. But it is managed by the Trustees of the Powis Castle Estate as a tourist attraction. By 2005, the castle was getting over 100,000 visitors a year. This was more than in past decades. The castle traditionally hosts a Shakespearean play. This is part of the annual Ludlow Festival in the town. It is also central to the Ludlow Food and Drink Festival every September.
English Heritage thinks Ludlow is "one of England's finest castle sites." They say the ruins are "a remarkably complete multi-phase complex." It is protected under UK law as a Scheduled Monument. It is also a Grade I listed building. By the 21st century, Castle House was in bad condition. English Heritage put it on its "at risk" list. In 2002, the Powis Estate bought the property back. They paid £500,000 to the South Shropshire District Council. They renovated it and turned it into offices and rental apartments. The building reopened in 2005.
Castle Architecture
Ludlow Castle sits on a rocky point. It overlooks the modern town of Ludlow to the east. The ground slopes steeply down to the rivers Corve and Teme to the south and west. This is about 100 feet (30 m) (30 meters) below. The castle is mostly rectangular. It is about 500 by 435 feet (152 by 133 m) (152 by 133 meters) in size. It covers almost 5 acres (2.0 ha) (2 hectares) in total. The inside is split into two main parts. These are an inner area and a much larger outer area. A third, smaller area was made in the early 1200s. Walls were built around the south-west corner of the inner area. The castle's walls are connected to Ludlow's medieval town walls. This is on the south and east sides. The castle is built from different types of stone. The Norman parts use greenish-grey siltstone rubble. The carved parts use red sandstone. Later work mainly used local red sandstone.
Outer Bailey
You enter the outer area through a gatehouse. Inside, the space is divided into two. On the north side is Castle House and its gardens. The house is two stories tall. It is built around the old walls of the tennis court and the Castle Inn. The north end of Castle House touches Beacon Tower. This tower overlooks the town.
The other half of the outer area has the 16th-century porter's lodge, prison, and stable block. These run along the eastern edge. The porter's lodge and prison are two buildings. They are 40 feet (12 m) (12 meters) and 58 by 23 feet (17.7 by 7.0 m) (18 by 7 meters) across. Both are two stories tall and well-built from stone. The stable block is at the far end. It is built more simply in stone and is 66 by 21 feet (20.1 by 6.4 m) (20 by 6.4 meters) in size. The outside of the prison once had coats of arms. These were of Henry, Earl of Pembroke, and Queen Elizabeth I. But they are now gone. The barred windows that once protected the building are also gone.
Along the south of the outer area are the remains of St Peter's. This was a 14th-century chapel. It was about 21 by 52 feet (6.4 by 15.8 m) (6.4 by 15.8 meters) in size. It was later turned into a courthouse. The courtroom took up the whole first floor. Records were kept in the rooms below. A modern wall cuts off the south-west corner of the outer area.
The western wall is about 6-foot-5-inch (1.96 m) (1.9 meters) thick. It is guarded by the 13th-century Mortimer's Tower. This tower is 18 feet (5.5 m) (5.5 meters) across outside. It has a vaulted room on the ground floor. This room is 12-foot-9.5-inch (3.899 m) (3.9 meters) large. When first built, Mortimer's Tower was a three-story gateway. It had an unusual D-shape. In the 15th century, the entrance was blocked. It became a regular tower. In the 16th century, an extra floor was added inside. The tower now has no roof. But it had a roof until the late 1800s.
Inner Bailey
Period: black – 11th/12th century; purple – 12th century; blue – 13th century; yellow – 14th century; orange- 15th century; red – 16th century; light purple – 17th century; shading shows destroyed buildings
The inner area is where the original Norman castle stood. It is protected by a wall between 5-foot (1.5 m) (1.5 meters) and 6-foot (1.8 m) (1.8 meters) thick. On the south and west sides, the wall is protected by a ditch. This ditch was originally up to 80-foot (24 m) (24 meters) deep. A bridge crosses it. This bridge still has parts of its 16th-century stone. Inside the inner area, a separate space was made. It is called the innermost area. This was done by adding a 5-foot (1.5 m) (1.5 meters) thick stone wall around the south-west corner in the early 1200s.
The gatehouse to the inner area has the coats of arms of Sir Henry Sidney and Queen Elizabeth I. These date to 1581. It was originally a three-story building. It had windows with horizontal bars and fireplaces. It was probably used as rooms for judges. There were likely other coats of arms displayed, but they are now lost. A porter's lodge would have been on the right side of the entrance. This was to control who came in. The rooms were reached by a spiral staircase in a tower. This tower had tall chimneys, which are now gone. Next to the gatehouse was a half-timbered building. It was possibly a laundry. It was about 48 by 15 feet (14.6 by 4.6 m) (14.6 by 4.6 meters), but it is now gone.
On the east side of the inner area is the 12th-century chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene. The chapel's round, Romanesque design is unusual. Only three similar examples exist in England. These are at Castle Rising, Hereford, and Pevensey. Built from sandstone, the round design copies a famous church in Jerusalem. Originally, the chapel had a nave, a square presbytery, and a chancel. But this design was greatly changed in the 1500s. Only the nave survives. Although it has no roof, the nave is still its full height. It is 26 feet 3 inches (8.00 m) (8 meters) in diameter. It is clearly divided into two sections by different stone. Some plaster still remains on the lower part. Around the inside of the nave are 14 arched sections in the walls.
The north end of the inner area has a group of buildings. These are the Solar block, the Great Hall, and the Great Chamber block. The Tudor Lodgings are in the north-east corner. The Tudor Lodgings are shaped like two diamonds. This was to fit into the space by the wall. They are divided by a wall. The west side is about 33 by 15 feet (10.1 by 4.6 m) (10 by 4.6 meters). The east side is 33 by 21 feet (10.1 by 6.4 m) (10 by 6.4 meters). They were entered by a shared spiral staircase. This design was used in palaces in the 1500s. They originally provided offices and private rooms for court officials. Later, they were turned into two separate apartments.
The Great Chamber block is next to the Tudor Lodgings. It dates from around 1320. It is also diamond-shaped. It is about 53 by 34 feet (16 by 10 m) (16 by 10 meters) across. It originally had its main room on the first floor. But it has been changed a lot over the years. The carved corbel heads that remain might show Edward II and Queen Isabella. Behind the Great Chamber block is the Guardrobe Tower. This is a four-story building. It had bedrooms and toilets.
In the 13th-century Great Hall, the hall itself was also on the first floor. It originally had a wooden floor. This was supported by stone pillars in the basement. It also had a huge wooden roof. It was 60 by 30 feet (18.3 by 9.1 m) (18 by 9 meters) across. This 2:1 ratio of length to width was common for castle halls then. You reached the hall by stone steps at the west end. It was lit by three tall, arched windows. Each had its own window seat and faced south for sunlight. Originally, the hall had an open fire in the center. This was normal for the 1200s. But the middle window was turned into a more modern fireplace around 1580.
To the west of the Great Hall is the three-story Solar block. It is an irregular rectangle. It measures up to 26 by 39 feet (7.9 by 11.9 m) (7.9 by 11.9 meters) in size. The first-floor room was probably used as a solar. The cellar was used for services. The Great Hall and Solar block were built at the same time in the 1200s. The builders carved out the inside of the old Norman tower behind them. They were probably built in two stages. They were meant to be smaller buildings at first. But the design was changed halfway through. They were finished quickly. You can still see signs of this, along with other changes made in the 1500s and 1600s.
The North-West and North-East towers behind the northern buildings are Norman. They are from the 1000s and early 1100s. When first built, they were made by pushing the wall outwards. This created the desired shape. Then timber floors and a timber wall were added at the back. They were not designed as separate buildings. The timber parts were later replaced with stone. They were included in the later buildings. The North-East Tower, also called the Pendover Tower, was originally two stories high. A third floor was added in the 1300s. The inside was greatly changed in the 1500s. It has angled corners on the outside. This was to make it harder to attack the stone. But this has made the tower weaker. The North-West Tower had similar angled corners. But the Closet Tower was built next to it in the 1200s. This changed its outside look. Two more Norman towers remain in the innermost area. These are the West Tower, which had a back gate, and the South-West tower, also called the Oven Tower, because of its cooking facilities. The Norman towers faced Wales. This was probably to show power.
A group of buildings, now gone, once stretched from the innermost area towards the Great Hall. This included a large stone house along the wall. It was 54 by 20 feet (16.5 by 6.1 m) (16.5 by 6.1 meters) in size. On the other side of the innermost area was the Great Kitchen. It was 31 by 23 feet (9.4 by 7.0 m) (9.4 by 7 meters) in size. It was built around the same time as the Great Hall. There was also an oven building, now gone, 21 by 27 feet (6.4 by 8.2 m) (6.4 by 8.2 meters).
The Great Tower, or keep, is on the south side of the innermost area. It is a roughly square building, four stories tall. Most of its walls are 8-foot-6-inch (2.59 m) (2.6 meters) thick. Its newer northern wall is only 7-foot-6-inch (2.29 m) (2.3 meters) thick. The Great Tower was built in several stages. Originally, it was a large gatehouse in the Norman castle. It probably had rooms above the gateway. It was then made bigger to form the Great Tower in the mid-1100s. But it was still used as a gatehouse for the inner area. When the innermost area was created in the early 1200s, the gateway was filled in. A new gateway was cut into the inner area wall just east of the Great Tower. Finally, the north side of the tower was rebuilt in the mid-1400s. This created the Great Tower you see today. The keep has a vaulted basement, 20-foot (6.1 m) (6.1 meters) high. It has Norman wall arches. There is a row of windows on the first floor, most of which are now blocked. The arches are like those in the chapel. They probably date from around 1080. The windows and large entrance would have looked impressive. But they would also have been very hard to defend. This type of tower likely copied older, important Anglo-Saxon towers. It was meant to show power.
The Round Chapel (Early 1100s)
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The chapel of St Mary Magdalene, showing the two levels of stonework and surviving plasterwork...
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...the entrance...
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...the interior, with arcaded bays...
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...and carved corbel head.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Ludlow para niños
- Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
- List of castles in England
- Grade I listed buildings in Shropshire
- Listed buildings in Ludlow (northern area)
