Stokesay Castle with its gatehouse in the foreground
Stokesay Castle in Shropshire, north of Ludlow, was built in the 1280s and early 90s by Laurence of Ludlow, a wool merchant, who had become one of the richest men in England. It was built to be a pleasant home rather than a military outpost in the Marches. It announced that Laurence had become part of the wealthy landowner class and provided both status and some security, but at the same time he didn’t constitute a threat to the established lords of the Anglo-Welsh marches.
The present gatehouse was built much later, in 1640-41 and is a very attractive part of the castle complex. We don’t know the look of the original gatehouse. The courtyard, entered through the gatehouse, was surrounded by a curtain wall, but the top part of that wall was pulled down by Cromwells’ soldiers in the Civil War.
The photos were captured at two different times, one set on a cold day in early March before any leaves had covered the trees and one set in late June, when it was a very hot and sweaty 29 degrees.
Captured from the courtyard the image shows from the left the South Tower, the Solar (with an exterior staircase outside) and the Great Hall. At the right side of the Great Hall is the entrance door. The tall windows in the Great Hall show clearly that Stokesay was never intended to withstand a serious siege. The Solar provided the private quarters for the family and they ate in the Great Hall, where also many of the servants would have slept, just like at Knightstone (which was much smaller and built 100 years later). The South Tower was built slightly later and provided probably further accommodation for guests and staff, or it may have become the living accommodation for Laurence and most certainly housed the centre of his business and money-lending activities.
Another view from the courtyard, with the Great Hall to the left, the Gatehouse to the right and the partially demolished curtain wall in the middle. Behind that wall is the church of St John the Baptist. The oldest parts are Norman, but the church was largely rebuilt after the Civil War.
Stokesay Castle seen from the west, outside the courtyard. The north tower is to the left, followed by the Great Hall and then the Solar. A narrow building, probably just containing a Strong Room for Laurence valuables connects the Solar to the South Tower, built slightly later then the rest of castle
The Great Hall looking towards the North Tower. Here the family, trusted servants and guests ate their meals and several, maybe most of the staff slept here as well
The Solar, the family quarters of Laurence and his wife and maybe some of his children. The lovely paneling and the decorations above the fireplace is of a later origin. The panels above the fireplace were certainly decorated in bold colours. The South Tower provided further accommodation and offices for Laurence, his family and important guests. The windows on either side of the fireplace look into the Great Hall, a very usual arrangement in medieval times.
Along the moat with the North Tower at the back. The lower floors of the North Tower housed support functions, but the top floor was certainly a most attractive living room with large windows and far-reaching views. The second floor protrudes much further than the two lower floors in typical fashion of medieval houses in this part of England. It is unclear if the moat was ever filled with water but it added both to the protection of the house and gave it more status.
The South Tower from the moat
The Great Hall and North Tower from the moat
Another view from outside the Gatehouse with the church in the background
