Apley Castle
Apley Castle was a medieval fortified manor in the village of Hadley, Shropshire, England.
| Apley Castle | |
|---|---|
| Hadley, Shropshire, England | |
 Converted stableblock, containing remains of original castle | |
  Apley Castle | |
| Coordinates | 52.7152°N 2.5122°W |
| Type | Fortified manor house |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Private |
| Condition | Inhabited |
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.
References
- Mackenzie, p.125.
- Emery, p.507.
- Emery, p.507.
- Emery, pp.506-7.
- Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (23 September 2004). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". 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.)
- Emery, p.507; Mackenzie, p.125.
- Emery, p.507; Mackenzie, p.125.
- Emery, p.507.
- Emery, pp.507-8.
- Apley Castle Park Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, Apley Preservation Association, accessed 17 August 2011.
Bibliography
- Emery, Anthony. (2000) Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1300-1500: East Anglia, Central England and Wales. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-58131-8.
- Mackenzie, James D. (1896) The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure, Vol II. New York: Macmillan. OCLC 504892038.