Castles in Shropshire

The design of castles developed gradually between 1066 and the 16^th century. At first, castle design was driven by the necessity for defence against attack. This resulted in the development of several defensive structures, and over time these became more and more sophisticated in design.

The Keep

From the 12^th century onwards many castles were constructed or rebuilt in stone. The building of a keep, or donjon as the Normans would have called it, was the strongest point of a castle's defences during the 11^th to 13^th centuries. It was also the focal point of castle life, and in the early years contained the great hall and sleeping quarters for the owner of the castle. Several different forms of castle keep were developed and used.

Square and Rectangular Keeps

The square and rectangular form of keep was quick and easy to construct and had thick walls to provide added strength. The earliest known example of a tower keep in Shropshire is that of Bridgnorth Castle. This was built in the reign of Henry II between 1166 and 1174, and its north wall measures an impressive 2.9 metres in thickness.

Other examples of tower keeps in Shropshire were built in the reign of King John (1199-1216) and include Alberbury and Whittington constructed by Fulke Fitz Waine and Wattlesborough and Pontesbury erected by the Corbets. An impressive example of another type of keep can be found at Ludlow. Originally, this structure was a gatehouse, but was converted into a keep by the de Lacy's sometime in the mid to late 12^th century. This type of structure is referred to as a gatehouse-keep and enabled complete control of the castle entrance and the inner bailey, as well as offering secure domestic quarters on the upper floors.

In terms of design for defence against attack, the square keep proved vulnerable as it could easily be damaged at the corners by undermining and bombardment. Despite their limitations, tower keeps also served as important symbols of lordships and power, and this may explain why they continued to be built in Shropshire up to the 14^th century.

The tower keep at Hopton Castle, for example, is thought to be a 14^th century addition to earlier defences.

The building of a stone keep on top of an earthen motte was also problematic. Many substantial stone keeps were simply too heavy to be supported by a motte which did not incorporate natural rock. A solution to this was demonstrated at Clun, where the 13^th century residential keep was built into the north slope of the motte rather than directly on the summit.

Round Keeps

In order to solve the problems of undermining and bombardment of the keep by arrows and rocks, castle designers developed a new structure - the round keep. The circular walls deflected arrows and other missiles and thus afforded better protection from attack.

Shell Keeps

Another type of keep is the shell keep. These surrounded the summit of the motte, were round or polygonal, and provided a more substantial alternative to the wooden palisade. As the name suggests, these types of keep were hollow and provided a shell for the buildings contained in its interior. These buildings were usually the domestic quarters for the owner of the castle. There are only small indicators of shell keep construction in Shropshire. It is suggested that Caus Castle had a round shell keep, possibly dating from the 13^th century, but the archaeological remains are not conclusive of this. It is also thought that a polygonal shell keep once stood on the motte at Oswestry Castle. Indeed the shape of the motte is similar to many castle which had shell keeps on them, so it is more than probable that Oswestry did have a shell keep.

More solid evidence can be found at Shrewsbury Castle, where the footings of a shell keep on the motte summit survive. The construction of this keep can probably be attributed to Henry II, as the Pipe Rolls record minor expenditure in the 1160s which most probably includes this keep and the curtain wall. The shell keep would have protected the wooden tower which had been a permanent fixture since the castle was founded just after the Conquest, although it is likely the structure was rebuilt or repaired during this time. It is said that the wooden tower did not collapse fully until about 1270; and this identifies the importance of timber and stone as building materials throughout this period of stone castle construction.