Stokesay Castle

A Bit of History…

Stokesay Castle was built at the end of the 13th century by Laurence of Ludlow, a leading wool merchant who at the time was one of the richest men in England. The castle’s military appearance is superficial, it couldn’t have withstood a serious siege.

It remains one of the finest and best-preserved fortified medieval manor houses in England, and one of the best places to visit to experience what medieval life was like. Almost everything visible at Stokesay today was built in the 1280s and 1290s.

The magnificent open-hearthed great hall, with its fine cruck-built timber roof, shuttered gable windows and precipitous staircase, has been unchanged for over 700 years. The north tower displays an original medieval tiled roof and remains of wall painting, while the south tower, with breathtaking views of the Shropshire Hills from its roof, contains a richly carved 17th-century solar chamber. The only substantial later addition is the 17th-century gatehouse built in 1640-1641.

As I’m a fan of castles and not so much of manor houses, I wasn’t expecting much on my visit to Skokesay Castle, but I was very pleasantly surprised. In terms of its size, it’s very deceptive. It doesn’t look that big form the outside but inside it’s huge. There are some very large open spaces and lots of rooms, stairs and passageways to navigate. It was a fun and very interesting experience.