Stokesay Castle

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"The Stokesay Dragon"


D was also on holiday the week after we went to Anglesey so we planned a day out to an English Heritage property. We decided on Stokesay Castle in Shropshire and what a superb place it was. I am so glad we made the decision at Kenilworth Castle earlier this year to join English Heritage as we are discovering some amazing properties (we also got half price admission to the CADW castles!).


The journey took longer than expected as I got lost! and travelled for miles on a very narrow "B" road although we did see some lovely villages en route!

So when we arrived the tea room for an early lunch was the first port of call.

I had egg mayonnaise and cress and D had cheese and chutney. Note the bags of scones to take home! They looked large and a bit like rock cakes but actually they were really light and just delicious.

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Pied Wagtail in the tearoom gardens

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Church on the left and the castle on the right

We went a wander down the lane first as there were so many wild flowers and

we watched swallows swooping around.

Stokesay Castle

A blackbird was "sunbathing" in the churchyard

St John the Baptist - I will do a separate post on the church and I promise it will not be as long as this one!

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English Heritage shops have a range of tempting items - and I brought one of these sheep home with me along with a couple of perennials for the garden.

Stokesay Castle is one of the best preserved fortified manor houses in England. It is located in the valley of the River Onny. Most of the building that can be seen today was built in the 1280's and early 1290's by Laurence of Ludlow a wool merchant who was one of the richest men in England. He built the house to show that he had become a member of the land owning classes. Its fortified appearance is superficial although the moat and wall would have deterred robbers.



The Gatehouse was, however, constructed later between 1640 and 1641 by Lord Craven. It displays the regional style of timber framing and plasterwork. Lintels and brackets are carved wih contemporary men and women together with angels, dragons and Adam and Eve. The lintel above the entrance has carvings of the Fall of Man and at each end there are carvings of the trees of life and the knowledge of good and evil.

The dry moat was very colourful with flowers everywhere.

The carvings did not photograph that well possibly because they are dark and/or the position of the sun so you may need to enlarge the images by clicking on one to see some of the detail.

My favourite was the Stokesay dragon!

A very old door.

Inside the gatehouse are mason/carpenters marks and I spent ages searching for a few examples and am pretty sure these may be some.

The inner side of the gatehouse has yet more wonderful carvings including a dragon holding a shield, a man and woman in Jacobean clothing alongside a half hidden nude woman and man.

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Timothy was in his element and loving every minute soaking up the atmosphere and trying not be frightened by some of the carvings i.e. the dragon!

The hall was constructed in the 13th century. Laurence of Ludlow and his family and guests would have dined in the great hall which has 3 large windows on both the west and east sides. The roof and staircase (I did not get a photo of the latter unfortunately) are very impressive and the roof covers the whole hall with its cruck timbers. Three huge wooden arches are a rare survival from the time the roof was constructed and timbers dated by dendrochronology are from the 1280's.

An illustration depicting a visit from the Bishop of Hereford.

In the buttery can be seen traces of an old floral decoration on ancient plaster.

In a room (which you cannot enter) on the first floor of the North Tower can be seen 13th century tiles some with mythological animals.

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Room with a view!

In the 2nd floor room which again has the original roof there is also a fireplace set in the south wall which still has its 13th century over mantel. Semi-circular columns with carved corbels and capitals are also 13th century.

I think these candle scorch marks are apotropiac or "witch marks" which were often made on places like fireplaces to prevent witches or evil spirits entering.

Swallows were nesting in most of the rooms we visited - flying in through the open windows to feed young.

Next we visited the two storey solar again built in the 1280's although the solar room itself was re-modelled in the 17th century at a time when Stokesay was refurbished.

Again there are wonderful carvings on the wooden panelling above and around the fireplace. There are carvings of fruit, flowers, and figures. The overmantle is divided by pilasters (in the shape of human figures) into four squares. Two squares have a grotesque head in the middle. It was originally brightly coloured and traces of pigments have been found.

Room on the first floor in the South Tower

D continued up the spiral stairway to the room on the second floor and to the top of the tower while I had a wander round the courtyard.

Views taken by D from the South Tower

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From this height you can just make out the shape of a key in the castle garden.

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Castle Garden

Bees nest by the Gatehouse

Finally we walked round the dry moat where you get a good view of some of the castle.

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*D Photos taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera

Reference: English Heritage guide to Stokesay Castle by Henry Summerson
I have to say the English Heritage (and CADW) guidebooks are really excellent