Shrewsbury Castle

History

A castle was ordered on the site by William I c. 1067 but it was greatly extended under Roger de Montgomery circa 1070 as a base for operations into Wales, an administrative centre and as a defensive fortification for the town, which was otherwise protected by the loop of the river. At the start of the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda, the castle was held by William Fitz Alan, lord of Oswestry and Clun, on behalf of Matilda. After a short siege in 1138, King Stephen took the castle and had the surviving garrison hung from the battlements.

The castle was briefly held by Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales, in 1215. Parts of the original medieval structure remain largely incorporating the inner bailey of the castle; the outer bailey, which extended into the town, has long ago vanished under the encroachment of later shops and other buildings.

The Shropshire Horticultural Society purchased the castle from a private owner, then Lord Barnard, and gave it to the town in 1924 The museum was officially re-opened by Princess Alexandra on 2 May 1995. In 2019 it was rebranded as the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum.

In 2019 and 2020 an archaeology project by Shropshire Council and the University of Chester undertook excavations in the castle. Work in 2019 found the remains of the original ditch surrounding the motte of c.1067, along with a range of medieval pottery and two arrow heads or crossbow-bolt heads. Excavations in 2020 failed to locate St Michael's chapel, but did recover evidence of 'high-status feasting', including the bones of a pike and possibly a swan.

Collection

The museum combines the collections of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and the Shropshire Yeomanry the Grand Admiral's Baton belonging to Karl Dönitz, and the Victoria Crosses of Captain Alfred Kirke Ffrench, Private Charles Irwin and Sergeant Major Harold Whitfield.

Laura's Tower overlooks the surrounding townscape and countryside and is sometimes used as a backdrop for functions and weddings.

References

References

1. {{National Heritage List for England
2. "Shrewsbury Castle". Castle Wales.
3. "Shrewsbury Castle".
4. "Shrewsbury Castle".
5. "Historic Timeline". Original Shrewsbury.
6. Having fallen into decay after c. 1300 (at the end of the Welsh wars) the castle became a domestic residence during the reign of [[Elizabeth I of England. Elizabeth I]] and passed to the ownership of the town council c.1600. The castle was extensively repaired in 1643 during the [[English Civil War. Civil War]] and was briefly besieged by Parliamentary forces from [[Wem]] before its surrender. It was acquired by [[Francis Newport, 1st Earl of Bradford. Sir William Pulteney]], MP for [[Shrewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
7. (10 November 2010). "Shropshire Regimental Museum". Military History Monthly.
8. (3 May 1995). "Royal praise for rebuilt museum". Shropshire Star.
9. "Soldiers of Shropshire".
10. (23 August 2019). "'Hugely important': Shrewsbury Castle excavation reveals finds of national significance". Shropshire Star.
11. (26 September 2020). "Lost Shrewsbury chapel remains hidden as team 'digs in the wrong castle'". Shropshire Star.
12. (8 December 2023). "Napoleon's hair kept at Shrewsbury Castle".
13. Matters, Military History. (10 November 2010). "The Shropshire Regimental Museum | Military History Matters".
14. "Grave locations of holders of the Victoria Cross: Brompton".
15. "Grave locations of holders of the Victoria Cross: Northern Ireland".
16. {{London Gazette. (7 May 1918)
17. "Shrewsbury Castle Wedding Photography". True Reflections.