Herefordshire 2023 Visit 2 : - Part 5 Goodrich Castle

 

Thursday 20th April was cold and windy again but dry and sunny so we took the plunge and finally went to Goodrich Castle down past Ross on Wye.  It was supposed to take about an hour according to Google Maps it took an hour and a quarter but it was well worth the journey time.

Photos D took from the car park.

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Goodrich Castle occupies a superb position over the River Wye guarding an important river crossing.  It is one of the best preserved of all English medieval castles.

In 1086 the area belonged to Godric Mappeson and Godric's Castle first mentioned in 1101-2 was presumably built on this site.

Around 1138 the castle was held by Gilbert de Clare and it is thought either he or his son Richard "Strongbow" de Clare (d1176) built the earliest surviving part of the castle - the mid C12th keep.

In 1204 King John gave the castle to William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, who probably built the lower east curtain wall in the early C13th.

Most of the rest of the castle was built for William de Valence (d1296) who owned the castle following his marriage in 1247.  Most of the rebuilding was probably done between the 1270's and the 1290's.

By 1326 the Talbots had taken over the castle.

The castle was besieged by Parliamentary Forces under Colonel John Birch in 1646 and the powerful mortar he used demolished the NW Tower.

By the late C18th Goodrich had become a tourist attraction for people attracted to the "Picturesque" and the historical association of the castle.

It has been in the care of the Office of Works and then English Heritage since 1920.

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The outer defences were built in the late C13 and early C14th. The curtain wall and towers rise above the ditch.

The Gatehouse was built in the late C13th and incorporated all the latest defences.  The modern fixed bridge you cross today to enter the castle was in the C13th a pivoting drawbridge.  A fighting platform was located above so if necessary soldiers could shoot down at the enemy. The gate passage itself had two pairs of wooden gates and 2 portcullises and murder holes.  The gate house also contained residential rooms on the upper floor perhaps for the castle constable.Despite the outer defences the castle was like a country residence inside and used as a centre of local justice and administration.

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Roaring Meg was used by Parliamentarian forces to besiege the castle which brought its 500 year old history as a residence to an end.  The Civil War between supporters of  King Charles I and those of Parliamentarians came to Goodrich in 1646.  Sir Henry Lingen, a Royalist held the castle with 120 soldiers and 50 officers under his command.  The Parliamentarian forces under Colonel John Birch were ordered to take Goodrich.  Roaring Meg was built to fire a gunpowder fired shell weighing over 90kg.  The mortar fired in the air with the shell dropping down on the target.  The attacks led to the Royalists surrendering on 31st July 1646.

Chapel and Gatehouse

The Great Hall where feasts were held and it was also the hub of public and administrative life in the castle.  The table of the lord and the most important members of the household was probably located on a dais.

Remains of a bread oven in the kitchen.

Latrine Tower is quite a remarkable feature of the castle and such a large example is rare. It housed a communal latrine used by the whole household.

Entrance to the dungeon

The keep - the oldest part of the castle

B and D went to the top of the keep - photos by D using the Canon - I'd given him my spare camera card.

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I in the meantime explored the chapel.It was built in the C13th century for the use of the household which could at times number 200. The Lord and Lady of the Castle would have stood on a gallery.

 

The Millennium Window designed` by Nicola Hopwood and installed May 2000. The central motif represents the meandering of the River Wye.

Radar Research Squadron Memorial Window was installed in June 1992 to commemorate the staff of the Radar Research Squadron who died while in service when Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) was being developed.  It features the badge of the RAF and other organsiations who took part in radar research.

On 7th June 1942 a RAF Halifax V9977 caught fire, due to a fuel leak, and crashed 1.5 kms from the castle.  All 11 on board were killed. The plane had been flying on a test mission for the prototyupe H2S radar system.  A Halifax bomber is displayed in part of the window.

We finally left the castle and as we did so B and D spotted some people walking in the ditch. You might know I had already started to go back but B and D went back into the castle and found how to get down to the moat.

D's photos from the moat - tbh I was a bit miffed at missing this.

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Goodrich Folklore

Goodrich Castle is haunted by two lovers who died in the Civil War. In 1646 Alice Birch, niece of Colonel Birch the parliamentarian who besieged Goodrich eloped with Charles Clifford and the two lovers were given refuge in the castle by Royalist friends.  While they were there Colonel Birch arrived with his soldiers and mortar and while trying to escape the two lovers drowned in the River Wye.  Their ghosts have been seen trying to cross the river on a phantom horse.

It took ages to get back as we went via Hereford and hit the rush hour.  

Next day Friday we left at lunchtime hoping to miss the traffic. We didn't the M42 seems all roadworks and 50 mph speed restrictions :(

Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and those by D taken with the Canon SX50 HS.  If anyone ever wishes to use any of my photos or my son's I would be grateful for an email first  - thanks..

Reference:

Guide Book to Goodrich Castle

Pvsner Buildings of England Herefordshire

Reader's Digest "Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain"