Shrewsbury Castle

Shrewsbury Castle was orignally a wooden fortification built by the Anglo-Saxons to defend the narrow neck of land at the entrance to the town not protected by the River Severn.

The red standstone castle was built by Roger de Montgomery, a relative of William Conqueror, in around 1070. Apart from the gateway very little of this Norman castle has survived. Much of the original structure was demolished by Edward I during rebuilding and strengthen work in around 1300.

Following this period the castle was allowed to fall into disrepair and by the time of Elizabeth I was used as a private residence. During the Civil War the castle saw military action for the last time when a small force of Parliamentarian troops captured the castle and the town with little bloodshed.

In 1663 Charles II granted the castle to Sir Francis Newport and it remained in private hands until the early 20th century. In the late-18th century the great engineer Thomas Telford remodelled the interior of the castle as a private house.

In 1924 the castle was purchased by the Shropshire Horticultural Society and presented to Corporation of Shrewsbury.

The castle was restored as much as possible to its Edwardian condition and opened to the public in 1926.

In 1992 the castle was the target of a terrorist firebomb but after pains-taking restoration the building has been reopened. The castle now contains the Shropshire Regimental Museum.

The castle is a popular venue for weddings and the grounds are frequently used for outdoor events during the summer.