Caus Castle
Encyclopedia
Caus Castle is a hill fort
and medieval castle
in the civil parish
of Westbury
in the English
county of Shropshire
. It is situated up on the eastern foothills of the Long Mountain
guarding the route from Shrewsbury, Shropshire to Montgomery, Powys
on the border between England
and Wales
.
hillfort, while the later motte-and-bailey
is of Norman construction.
Roger le Corbet (or Fitz Corbet) was granted several manors
in Shropshire
in 1069 by William the Conqueror as the Barony of Caus for his role in the Norman conquest and invasion of England. They were named after his Normandy estate in the Pays de Caux
. The Corbets owed fealty to Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury
to help
control Welsh Marches
with absolute control over their demesne
. Caus Castle was built by Roger le Corbet in the late 11th century as a high motte
with a very small summit on which stood a tower and a strongly defended inner bailey.
The castle was sufficiently important that the Crown took an interest in its maintenance. Henry II of England
had it garrisoned in 1165. In 1198 Roger Corbet re-built the tower, keep and curtain wall in stone. During the late 12th century a town or borough
was founded in the large outer Bailey. A royal grant of 50 marks was made in 1263 towards further building work, when D-shape towers were added to the curtain wall. On the death of Beatrice Corbet in 1347 Caus passed to the Earl of Stafford.
Caus was garrisoned by the Seneschal
Griffith ap Ieuan ap Madoc ap Gwenwys against the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr
in the 15th century, but following calls from Welsh graduates in law and students in the University of Oxford
he changed sides and supported Glyndŵr. As a result his family lands and role at Caus Castle were forfeited in 1404, only to be restored by Henry V of England
in 1419 after his sons Ieuan ap Griffith and Sir Gruffudd Vychan
captured John Oldcastle
for Lord Charlton of Powys
.
On 10 Aug. 1443, at Caus Castle Sir Gruffudd Vychan
pierced with a lance the heart of his master, Sir Christopher Talbot (1419–1443), son of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
, and the champion tilter of England. He was outlawed, a reward of 500 marks (£166 6s 8d) offered for his capture, and his lands were passed to John Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley
, as the death of the young knight was not regarded as an accident. The Earl of Stafford rarely used the castle in the 15th and 16th centuries so that it decayed, and was finally deserted after it was destroyed in 1645.
Category:Castles in Shropshire
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
and medieval castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Westbury
Westbury, Shropshire
Westbury is a village and parish in Shropshire, England. It lies 8 miles west of the town of Shrewsbury, very close to the Wales-England border.During the Roman settlement of Britain it was an outpost of Wroxeter....
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. It is situated up on the eastern foothills of the Long Mountain
Long Mountain (Powys)
The Long Mountain is a hill to the east of Welshpool in Powys, Wales. It rises to a height of 408m at Beacon Ring, where there is a hill fort.The Long Mountain extends from Forden in the southwest to Vennington in Shropshire to the northeast...
guarding the route from Shrewsbury, Shropshire to Montgomery, Powys
Montgomery, Powys
The historic county town of Montgomery in Powys, Wales lies just three miles from the English border in the Welsh Marches. It is best known for its castle, Montgomery Castle, begun in 1223, and its parish church, begun in 1227. However its origins go back much further, as seen by the Celtic Iron...
on the border between England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
History
The early outer earthworks of the site are probably an Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort, while the later motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
is of Norman construction.
Roger le Corbet (or Fitz Corbet) was granted several manors
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
in 1069 by William the Conqueror as the Barony of Caus for his role in the Norman conquest and invasion of England. They were named after his Normandy estate in the Pays de Caux
Pays de Caux
The Pays de Caux is an area in Normandy occupying the greater part of the French département of Seine Maritime in Haute-Normandie. It is a chalk plateau to the north of the Seine Estuary and extending to the cliffs on the English Channel coast - its coastline is known as the Côte d'Albâtre...
. The Corbets owed fealty to Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
to help
control Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
with absolute control over their demesne
Demesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
. Caus Castle was built by Roger le Corbet in the late 11th century as a high motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
with a very small summit on which stood a tower and a strongly defended inner bailey.
The castle was sufficiently important that the Crown took an interest in its maintenance. Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
had it garrisoned in 1165. In 1198 Roger Corbet re-built the tower, keep and curtain wall in stone. During the late 12th century a town or borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
was founded in the large outer Bailey. A royal grant of 50 marks was made in 1263 towards further building work, when D-shape towers were added to the curtain wall. On the death of Beatrice Corbet in 1347 Caus passed to the Earl of Stafford.
Caus was garrisoned by the Seneschal
Seneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
Griffith ap Ieuan ap Madoc ap Gwenwys against the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
in the 15th century, but following calls from Welsh graduates in law and students in the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
he changed sides and supported Glyndŵr. As a result his family lands and role at Caus Castle were forfeited in 1404, only to be restored by Henry V of England
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
in 1419 after his sons Ieuan ap Griffith and Sir Gruffudd Vychan
Sir Gruffudd Vychan
Sir Gruffudd Vychan was a Welsh knight who supported the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr against the English, captured the Lollard John Oldcastle and was finally executed after the murder of Sir Christopher Talbot.-Family:...
captured John Oldcastle
John Oldcastle
Sir John Oldcastle , English Lollard leader, was son of Sir Richard Oldcastle of Almeley in northwest Herefordshire and grandson of another Sir John Oldcastle....
for Lord Charlton of Powys
Edward Charleton, 5th Baron Cherleton
Edward Charleton , 5th Baron Cherleton, KG , 5th and last Lord Charlton of Powys, was the younger son of John Charlton, the third baron, and his wife, Joan, daughter of Lord Stafford....
.
On 10 Aug. 1443, at Caus Castle Sir Gruffudd Vychan
Sir Gruffudd Vychan
Sir Gruffudd Vychan was a Welsh knight who supported the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr against the English, captured the Lollard John Oldcastle and was finally executed after the murder of Sir Christopher Talbot.-Family:...
pierced with a lance the heart of his master, Sir Christopher Talbot (1419–1443), son of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and 1st Earl of Waterford KG , known as "Old Talbot" was an important English military commander during the Hundred Years' War, as well as the only Lancastrian Constable of France.-Origins:He was descended from Richard Talbot, a tenant in 1086 of Walter Giffard...
, and the champion tilter of England. He was outlawed, a reward of 500 marks (£166 6s 8d) offered for his capture, and his lands were passed to John Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley
John Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley
John Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley, KG was an English nobleman. A diplomat and councillor of Henry VI, he fought in several battles during the Hundred Years War and the Wars of the Roses, and acted as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1428–1430.-Family and peerage:John Sutton was born at 25 December 1400 and...
, as the death of the young knight was not regarded as an accident. The Earl of Stafford rarely used the castle in the 15th and 16th centuries so that it decayed, and was finally deserted after it was destroyed in 1645.
External links
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Caus Castle and surrounding area
- www.rea-valley.com : Small Album of Caus Castle
Category:Castles in Shropshire