Richard's Castle | |
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The B4361 road through the village – the pub is to the right | |
Location within Shropshire | |
Population | 674 (2011) |
Shropshire | 424 |
Herefordshire | 250 |
OS grid reference | SO492696 |
Civil parish |
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Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | LUDLOW |
Postcode district | SY8 |
Dialling code | 01584 |
Police | West Mercia |
Fire | Shropshire |
Ambulance | West Midlands |
UK Parliament | |
Richard's Castle is a village, castle and two civil parishes on the border of the counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire in England. The Herefordshire part of the parish had a population of 250 at the 2011 Census, the Shropshire part, 424. [1] [2]
The village lies on the B4361 road, 5+1⁄2 miles (8.9 km) south of the historic market town of Ludlow. It is a dispersed settlement, with an older core near the castle, 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) to the north-west of the larger main part of the village which is on the B4361. On the B4361 is the village hall, and The Castle Inn traditional public house. [3] [4]
Today the fortress is reduced mainly to its earthworks and foundations. A polygonal keep stood on the high motte or mound. This was reached possibly via a semi-circular barbican. The bailey wall still stands twenty feet high in places and there are remains of several towers and an early gatehouse around the perimeter. There, earthwork remains of an outer ward enclose the church (St Bartholomew's) and a borough defence.
Richard Scrob was a Norman knight granted lands by the Saxon King Edward the Confessor before the Norman Conquest, in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire as recorded in the Domesday Book. He built Richard's Castle before 1051. The castle was a motte-and-bailey style construction, one of only three or four castles of this type built before the Norman conquest. Most were built after the conquest. Richard was last mentioned in 1067. His castle passed to his son, Osbern Fitz Richard, who married Nesta, the daughter of King Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Wales.
Osbern died around 1137 and was succeeded by his grandson, Osbern Fitz Hugh (married to Amice Clifford, a sister of Rosamond Clifford), who died in 1187. Richard's Castle then passed to his marital brother-in-law, Hugh de Say (married to Lucy Clifford), who died in 1190, leaving the barony to his son, another Hugh Say. Thus the castle passed out of the line of descent of Richard Fitz Scrob. In 1196 this Hugh fought at the battle at New Radnor and was probably killed there, his castles eventually passing to Robert de Mortimer of Attleborough. In 1264 his son, Hugh Mortimer, was forced to surrender himself and Richard's Castle to Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. His grandson, the last Hugh Mortimer of Richard's Castle, was poisoned to death by his wife in 1304. The castle then passed to the Talbots, through Richard Talbot's marriage to Joan Mortimer. On 3 December 1329, Joan late the wife of Richard Thalebot, had noted in the Patent Rolls that she planned to leave Richard's Castle to John de Wotton, chaplain, and William Balle of Underlith, in fee simple. [5] The Talbots were still living there in the late 14th century. Sir William de Vaux - High Sheriff of Northamptonshire died in Richards Castle in 1460. By the 16th century it was in ruins.
The village lies on the western edge of the Teme valley, with the castle and older part of the village higher in elevation (180 metres (590 ft) above sea level) than the present-day core of the village situated on the B4361 road (at an elevation of 100 metres (330 ft)). [6]
Much of the village lies in Herefordshire, however there are two civil parishes named after Richard's Castle, one on the Herefordshire side of the county border called Richard's Castle (Hereford), and the other called Richard's Castle (Shropshire) (or "Richard's Castle (Salop)" historically). Both have their own parish council, which work together on some issues for the combined Richard's Castle community. The parish councils have the same parish clerk.
The castle ruins, St Bartholomew's Church, the Castle Inn pub, and former Methodist chapel lie in the Herefordshire half, whilst the Shropshire side includes All Saints Church, the Village Hall and the former primary school. The Shropshire civil parish includes the villages of Overton and Woofferton, the hamlets of Batchcott and Mitnell, as well as Wheatcommon, Moor Park and McCartneys auction centre. The Herefordshire civil parish includes Haye Park, which forms an almost detached part. Hanway Common is divided between the two parishes, with the county boundary running through it.
The Woofferton transmitting station, a notable feature of the area's landscape, spreads across the county boundary and is located in both of the Richard's Castle civil parishes.
The Welsh Marches Line runs through the currently closed Woofferton railway station with Transport for Wales Rail services calling at Leominster and Ludlow only.
Richard's Castle belonged to the manor of Avretone (Overton), which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as being entirely part of the hundred of Cutestornes, [7] a hundred of Herefordshire. Around the time of Henry I (1100–1139) the hundreds of Shropshire were greatly reformed and the hundred of Munslow was created; this hundred took in part of the parish of Richard's Castle (including Overton and Woofferton), causing the division of the parish and village between the counties that remains to the present day, as the remainder of the parish became part of the Herefordshire hundred of Wolphy. Whilst the neighbouring parish of Ludford, which had also been divided into Munslow/Shropshire and Wolphy/Herefordshire parts, was unified fully into Shropshire in 1895, no such unification of Richard's Castle occurred.
A market charter had been granted by King John, but this has long fallen into disuse. [8] Markets were held on The Green, which is still a public and open piece of land, situated near the church and castle.
The original parish church, sited within Herefordshire, was St Bartholomew's Church situated close to and east of the castle. The church was founded by either Richard Fitz Scrobe or his son. The chancel was probably built in 1362. The north transept was probably consecrated in 1351 by Bishop John de Trillek. This was the Chantry Chapel of the local Knights Templar. The south aisle was built between 1310 and 1320. There is a detached bell tower (one of six in the county) that dates from the second half of the 13th century. The church is between it and the castle. There are no openings in the bell tower between it and the castle. (See the Hereford Cathedral Library). This beautiful church is now redundant.
The current parish church is All Saints, [9] designed by the notable architect Richard Norman Shaw, and opened in 1892. [10] It is situated north of the village, within Shropshire, in the Batchcott area, by the side of the B4361 road and is a Grade I Listed building. [11] The triptych (1892-3) is a masterpiece by Charles Edgar Buckeridge. [12]
Writer Richard Gifford (1723-1807) was a curate in the parish in the 18th century. [13]
There was also a Primitive Methodist chapel, which is now a dwelling.
Moor Park School is a preparatory school in the Shropshire parish, between the villages of Richard's Castle and Overton.
Richard's Castle once had a primary school, which was adjacent to the present-day village hall.
A motorless car race takes place at Hanway Common in mid-July. The annual event was first held in 2004. [14] [15]
Ludlow is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is located 28 miles (45 km) south of Shrewsbury and 23 miles (37 km) north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The town is near the confluence of the rivers Corve and Teme.
The A49 is an A road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with the A6 road just south of Bamber Bridge, near the junction of the M6, M65 and M61 motorways.
The history of Herefordshire starts with a shire in the time of King Athelstan, and Herefordshire is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 1051. The first Anglo-Saxon settlers, the 7th-century Magonsætan, were a sub-tribal unit of the Hwicce who occupied the Severn valley. The Magonsætan were said to be in the intervening lands between the Rivers Wye and Severn. The undulating hills of marl clay were surrounded by the Welsh mountains to the west; by the Malvern Hills to the east; by the Clent Hills of the Shropshire borders to the north, and by the indeterminate extent of the Forest of Dean to the south. The shire name first recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle may derive from "Here-ford", Old English for "army crossing", the location for the city of Hereford.
Shropshire was established during the division of Saxon Mercia into shires in the 10th century. It is first mentioned in 1006. After the Norman Conquest it experienced significant development, following the granting of the principal estates of the county to eminent Normans, such as Roger De Montgomery and his son Robert de Bellême.
Clungunford is a village and civil parish in south Shropshire, England, located near the border with Herefordshire.
Leintwardine is a small to mid-size village and civil parish in north Herefordshire, England, close to the border with Shropshire.
Ashperton is a small village, parish and former manor about twelve miles east of the City of Hereford, in Herefordshire, England. The village is on the A417 road, the route of a Roman road from the City of Gloucester, in rolling countryside. Villages nearby include Monkhide, Tarrington and Canon Frome.
Ashford Bowdler is a small village and civil parish in south Shropshire, England, near the county border with Herefordshire.
Woofferton is a village to the south of Ludlow, in Shropshire, England. It is one of Shropshire's most southerly villages and lies on the border with Herefordshire. It is part of the civil parish of Richard's Castle. The larger Herefordshire village of Brimfield is just over the border to the south.
Wigmore is a village and civil parish in the northwest part of the county of Herefordshire, England. It is located on the A4110 road, about 8 miles (13 km) west of the town of Ludlow, in the Welsh Marches. In earlier times, it was also an administrative district, called a hundred.
Wigmore Castle is a ruined castle about 1 km (0.62 mi) from the village of Wigmore in the northwest region of Herefordshire, England.
Ludford is a small village and civil parish in south Shropshire, England. The parish is situated adjacent to the market town of Ludlow and was, until 1895, partly in Herefordshire.
Hereford Castle is a castle that used to be in the cathedral city of Hereford, the county town of Herefordshire, England. Founded sometime before 1052, it was one of the earliest castles in England. Hereford Castle was probably destroyed when the Welsh sacked Hereford in 1055, but seems to have been replaced by the following decade. During the civil war, when Stephen sought to usurp Queen Matilda, the castle was besieged three times; the garrison surrendered each time and control of Hereford Castle changed hands.
Richard Scrob was a Frenchman who came to England prior to the Norman Conquest of England.
Neen Sollars is a village and civil parish in south east Shropshire, England.
Pain fitzJohn was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and administrator, one of King Henry I of England's "new men", who owed their positions and wealth to the king.
Walter de Lacy was a Norman nobleman who went to England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. He received lands in Herefordshire and Shropshire, and served King William I of England by leading military forces during 1075. He died in 1085 and one son inherited his lands. Another son became an abbot.
Overton is a small village in south Shropshire, England.
Munslow is a hundred of Shropshire, England. It was formed with the amalgamation of the Anglo-Saxon hundreds of Patton and Culvestan during the reign of Henry I. Hundreds in England had various judicial, fiscal and other local government functions, their importance gradually declining from the end of manorialism to the latter part of the 19th century.
Richard's Castle (Shropshire) is a civil parish in Shropshire, England. It contains 30 listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. Of these, one is listed at Grade I, the highest of the three grades, two are at Grade II*, the middle grade, and the others are at Grade II, the lowest grade. The parish lies to the northeast of the village of Richard's Castle. It contains the villages of Overton and Woofferton and smaller settlements, and is otherwise rural. Most of the listed buildings in the parish are houses, cottages, farmhouses and farm buildings, the earliest of which are timber framed. There are two country houses that are listed, together with associated structures. The other listed buildings include a public house, an aqueduct, a bridge, a former toll house, two mileposts, and a church.