Hopton
Castle, 1066 to 1282 (ISBN
1-899376-01-1) [1994]
deals with the minor baronial family of Hopton and their castle
from its foundation, probably in the Anarchy of King
Stephen's
reign, to its destruction in the Civil War after a famous and
brutal siege in 1644. The career of the swashbucking Justice Walter
Hopton is also examined from his rise to fame in the Barons' War
of the 1260's to his fall from royal favour in the early 14th
century.
The remains of Hopton castle, both the keep/tower house and the earthwork remains are fully explored as well as two nearby castle sites at the Rabbit Berries and Warfield Bank.
Available for £4.95.
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Clun
Castle, 1066 to 1282 (ISBN
1-899376-00-3) [1994]
charts the progress and activities of the Say and Fitz Alan families
from the foundation of Clun castlery, probably before 1086, through
the Anarchy to the Barons' Wars of the thirteenth century into
the final climatic wars with Prince Llywelyn. During this period
the Fitz Alans through marriage became earls of Arundel, though
they do not seem to have been present at the
battle of Clun in
1263.
The massive masonry remains of Clun castle are examined and its layout explored. The relationship of the new rectangular 'keep' is also explained in relation to its much earlier probable predecessor. Attention is drawn to the buttressing of the plain castle curtain wall with solid half round buttresses. This mimics the style of Chateau Gaillard in Normandy built by Richard the Lionheart at the end of the 12th century. William Fitz Alan, it can be proved, was at Chateau Gaillard in the short period of its building and it would seem likely that he returned to the Welsh Marches and proceeded to fortify his castle at Clun in the most advanced continental manner before his own death in 1210.
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Morton
Corbet Castle, 1066 to 1700 (ISBN
1-899376-40-2) [1999] explores the previously obscure history
of this interesting apparently English castle. The story of the
early changes of ownership from the Verleys and English thegns
Hunning and Wulfgeat to the families of Toret and Chetwynd is
explored and the castle's only medieval siege in 1215 explained.
In 1235 the castle passed into the hands of the Corbets of
Wattlesborough,
whose descendants own the castle today. In the sixteenth century
the castle was remodelled as an Elizabethan house before much
of it was demolished when the new mansion was built in the 1580's.
Four sieges occurred here in the civil war.
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An updated version of Moreton Corbet Castle, 1066 to 1700 and the Families of Verley, Toret and Corbet, is now available as an A4 sized book of 110 pages. The revised book includes new photographs of the fortress and an index and can be bought for £19.95 through the PayPal basket below.
New Series!
Whittington
Castle (ISBN 1-899376-80-1) tells the story
of Whittington castle and its owning families. The fortress was begun by the
Peverels of Dover in 1114, before falling into the hands of the king of
Powys in 1146. The fortress then remained as a Welsh stronghold
until 1160 when it was occupied by royal forces. In 1165 King
Henry II gave the castle to his subject, Roger Powys and the castle
remained in that family's hands until 1203 when his grandson was forced
to hand the fortress and barony over to Fulk Fitz Warin. Prince
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth attacked the district in 1211 and finally
destroyed the first Whittington castle in 1215. In 1220 Fulk Fitz
Warin began rebuilding Whittington with the sanction of King Henry III
and Prince Llywelyn. However he chose to make great additions to
the castle which led Prince Llywelyn to sack the fortress once more in
March 1223. Once more Fulk regained his castle and by 1230 had
built the castle which confronts the visitor today. Whittington
castle was last seized by hostile forces in 1422.