Apley_Castle

Apley Castle

Apley Castle

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Apley Castle was a medieval fortified manor in the village of Hadley, Shropshire, England.

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History

Apley Castle was a moated, fortified manor house in Hadley near Wellington.[1] By the early 14th century the manor was owned by the Charlton family, who had become major landowners in the region, and in 1327 Sir Alan Charlton received a licence to crenellate the manor house.[2] The building work occurred shortly afterwards, producing a square building set around a central courtyard.[3] Charlton's descendants expanded the castle considerably into an Elizabethan mansion during the late 16th and early 17th century, using grey ashlar stone.[4]

Margaret Charlton, the religious non-conformist, was born here in 1636. She would be a supporter and later wife of Richard Baxter. In 1642 the castle passed by marriage to Thomas Hanmer, who married Margaret's mother (and very recent widow) Mary Charlton.[5] With the outbreak of the English Civil War that year between the supporters of King Charles and Parliament, Hanmer, a royalist, fortified the mansion, which formed a valuable strategic stronghold close to Shrewsbury.[6] Encouraged by Francis Charlton's younger brother, the castle was sacked by Parliamentary forces during the war: £1,500 of damage was done and the lead from the roof was stolen for use at Shrewsbury Castle.[7] Hanmer was taken prisoner and Mary Hanmer managed to recover both her children and the castle in order that her son Francis Charlton could become its heir.[5]

A second mansion, also called Apley Castle, was subsequently built between 1791 and 1794 for the Charltons, and the repaired first castle was reused as the stableblock for this building.[8] This building was demolished in 1955, and the stables fell into disrepair.[9] In 1996, the stables, including their medieval elements, were renovated and turned into a private house.[10] The site is a Grade 2* listed building.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Mackenzie, p.125.
  2. [2]
    Emery, p.507.
  3. [3]
    Emery, p.507.
  4. [4]
    Emery, pp.506-7.
  5. [5]
    Keble, N. H. (23 September 2004). "Baxter, Richard". In Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B. (eds.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. ref:odnb/1734. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/1734. Retrieved 30 December 2022. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. [6]
    Emery, p.507; Mackenzie, p.125.
  7. [7]
    Emery, p.507; Mackenzie, p.125.
  8. [8]
    Emery, p.507.
  9. [9]
    Emery, pp.507-8.
  10. [10]
    Apley Castle Park Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, Apley Preservation Association, accessed 17 August 2011.

Bibliography
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