Wigmore Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wigmore Castle |
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| Herefordshire, England | |
Wigmore Castle
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 Wigmore Castle
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| Coordinates | 52°19′04″N 2°52′17″W / 52.3177°N 2.8714°W |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | English Heritage |
| Condition | Ruined |
Wigmore Castle is an old, ruined castle located about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the village of Wigmore. You can find it in the northwest part of Herefordshire, England.
Contents
Wigmore Castle's Story
Building the Castle: Early Days
Wigmore Castle was first built after the Normans took over England. This was probably around the year 1070. A powerful man named William FitzOsbern started it. He was the first Earl of Hereford and a close friend of William the Conqueror.
The castle was built on empty land called Merestun. This name meant "the settlement by the lake." The village of Wigmore, which is below the castle, was also likely started by FitzOsbern.
We don't know exactly what FitzOsbern's first castle looked like. But he built other big castles, so Wigmore was probably large too. It might have covered the same area as the castle you see today. He likely shaped a natural ditch to create a deep trench behind the motte (a large mound). His castle was probably made of wood. It's possible that old stone foundations are hidden under the ground.
The Mortimer Family Takes Over
William FitzOsbern died in 1071. His son, Roger de Breteuil, later joined a rebellion in 1075. After Roger was defeated, King William I took the castle. He gave it to another supporter, Ranulph de Mortimer.
From this time on, Wigmore Castle became the main home for the powerful Mortimer family. Later, in 1328, they became the Earls of March.
Sieges and Stone Walls
In 1155, King Henry II attacked Wigmore Castle. This happened because Hugh de Mortimer refused to give Bridgnorth Castle back to the King. You can still see two small earth mounds near the castle today. These might be parts of the camps built during that attack.
Parts of the castle walls were rebuilt with stone in the late 1100s or early 1200s. More work was done in the 1200s. This might have happened when Hugh de Mortimer (who lived from 1197 to 1227) received money from the King for the castle's soldiers. This work included the curtain wall around the bailey (the castle courtyard). This wall still stands tall on the east and south sides.
Roger Mortimer: A Powerful Earl
The castle had a lot of building work done in the late 1200s and early 1300s. This was when Roger Mortimer (1231-1282), Edmund Mortimer (1282-1304), and Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March (1287–1330) owned it. The walls were made taller, the gatehouse was changed, and new buildings were added. This included a large building, possibly for living, inside the inner courtyard.
Roger Mortimer (the one who lived 1287–1330) became very powerful. He gained Ludlow Castle and many lands in Ireland by marrying Joan de Geneville. Roger was a leader against King Edward II in the 1320s. Around 1325, he became close with Edward's queen, Isabella of France.
After King Edward II was removed from power and died in 1327, Roger Mortimer became the most important person in England. This was because he was the queen's close friend and like a stepfather to the young King Edward III. In 1328, Mortimer held a big event near Wigmore. The young king and almost all the important people in England came to watch.
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Later Owners and Decline
In 1330, King Edward III had Roger de Mortimer arrested and his lands taken by the crown. King Edward III himself stayed at Wigmore for several weeks in the summer of 1332. Mortimer's grandson, also named Roger, got Wigmore and his other lands back in 1342.
The Mortimer family line ended in 1424. The castle then went to Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York. This happened through his mother, Anne Mortimer.
Wigmore Castle was said to be falling apart in 1425. However, digging at the site shows that some building work was done in the mid-1400s. Richard's son, Edward, Earl of March, likely used Wigmore Castle as his base. This was before his big win at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461. He became King Edward IV that same year.
During the 1500s, the castle was used partly as a prison. But it slowly started to decay again. In 1595, it was given to Sir Gelli Meyrick. In 1601, after Meyrick lost his life, Queen Elizabeth I sold Wigmore Castle to Thomas Harley.
His son, Sir Robert Harley, later owned the castle. During the English Civil War, Sir Robert left his wife, Lady Brilliana Harley, in charge. She had the castle's defenses taken down. This was to stop the Royalist soldiers from using it against her.
After the Civil War, the castle was left in ruins. Trees and plants grew all over it. By the 1900s, it was so overgrown that its towers, curtain walls, and gatehouse were hard to see.
Wigmore Castle Today
Wigmore Castle stayed in private hands for a long time. Because of this, it wasn't cleared and tidied up like many other old sites.
In 1995, English Heritage took over caring for Wigmore Castle. They did some work to protect the ruins and dug a little to learn more. This made the site easier for visitors to explore. New signs were put up in 2008 to help people understand the castle's history.
How the Castle Was Built and Its Location
Wigmore Castle was very important for defense. It sits almost halfway between the River Teme and the River Lugg. It controls the wide area between these two rivers.
The castle is built on the edge of a hill, with marshland (now drained) to its north. The castle's defenses were made even stronger by digging ditches across the hill. These ditches acted like moats. The ditch on the northwest side ran past a mound, which was also fortified. This mound probably had a wooden fence at first. Later, a stone keep (a strong tower) was built there.
