castle castle fortified manor house built late 13th century leading wool merchant england intended form secure private house generate income commercial estate descendants continued castle 16th century passed private owners time outbreak english civil war owned earl supporter king royalist war effort collapsed parliamentary forces besieged castle june quickly forced garrison surrender parliament ordered property minor damage walls allowing continue house family end 17th century 18th century rented castle range agricultural manufacturing purposes fell disrepair antiquarian noted visit abandoned neglect rapidly advancing ruin restoration work carried 1830s 1850s second earl estate heavily debt sold wealthy industrialist paid round extensive restoration 1870s owners attempted limit alterations existing buildings conservation work unusual period castle popular location tourists artists formally opened paying visitors descendants fell financial difficulties early 20th century increasingly difficult cover costs maintaining finally agreed place castle english_heritage castle left organisation death english_heritage carried extensive restoration castle late 1980s 21st century castle continues operated tourist attraction receiving visitors castle best preserved medieval fortified manor houses england according historian castle comprises walled enclosure entrance way 17th century timber plaster gatehouse inside courtyard faces stone hall solar block protected stone towers hall features 13th century wooden ceiling 17th century carved figures gatehouse solar castle intended military fortification style intended echo larger castles built edward originally designed prestigious secure comfortable home castle changed little 13th century rare surviving example near complete set medieval buildings english_heritage material displayed property kept castle largely history 13th 15th centuries castle built village wealthy wool merchant took anglo saxon word meaning cattle farm surname says family held land beginning 12th century onwards sold john john left land life time lease john died leaving rights property son bought philip possibly easily afforded fortune wool trade exported wool travelling europe negotiate sales maintaining offices london important wool merchant england helping set government trade policies lending money major nobility castle form secure personal home positioned close business operations region intended commercial estate worth year acres agricultural land acres meadows woodland work began castle point moved new property early castle describes comfortable initially comprising living accommodation tower north received permission king castle document called licence authority construct southern tower particularly martial appearance added castle shortly november drowned sea south england son william finished final work descendants took surname continued control castle end 15th century passed family marriage 16th 17th centuries castle passed grandson family hopes members possibly consequence property began regularly called castle time period henry divided time london probably staying north tower henry stood associate debts pursued money resulting period imprisonment sold castle pay substantial debts new owner sir sold property consortium investors wealthy widow london estates valuable bringing year income elizabeth son william spent little time leased son samuel rebuilt gatehouse cost english civil war broke supporters king charles parliament royalist supporter william spent war years court gave large sums money king war effort william installed garrison castle strong conflict progressed county increasingly royalist sympathies despite late bands risen complaining activities royalist forces region demanding things removal garrison castle early war turned decisively king february parliamentary forces seized city exposed rest region attack june force parliamentary soldiers pushed south attacking route royalist garrison led captain heavily outnumbered impossible effectively defend new gatehouse essentially ornamental nonetheless sides complied warfare time resulting victory parliamentary force demanded garrison surrender garrison refused attackers demanded surrender second time time garrison able castle dignity shortly june royalist force led sir attempted recapture castle garrisoned parliament counter attack unsuccessful ending rout royalist forces skirmish nearby village unlike castles england deliberately seriously damaged military use escaped substantial harm war parliament property william ordered castle pulled castle curtain wall leaving rest complex intact samuel returned continue rent castle years commonwealth wood new windows parts property restoration charles_ii throne william lands returned continued lease castle 18th 19th centuries 18th century castle continued leased family property range tenants point ceased domestic dwelling wood plaster buildings built hall demolished early 19th century castle storing grain manufacturing including barrel making castle began deteriorate antiquarian noted visit abandoned neglect rapidly advancing ruin glass destroyed ceilings floors falling rains streams opening roof damp walls basement south tower resulted fire caused considerable damage castle south tower extensive decay bases castle roof posed particular threat hall decaying roof began push walls apart restoration work carried 1830s earl deliberate attempt existing building rebuilding unusual approach time stone buttresses pillars added support parts hall roof research published outlining history castle local landowner took particular interest castle convinced william carry repair work castle supervision cost estate acres size heavily purchased head major glove manufacturer extremely wealthy estate included onwards undertook extensive restoration work years need repairs visiting writer noted property state extreme decay attempted archaeologist described simple unaffected programme work generally attempted avoid excessive intervention influenced contemporary writings local vicar reverend took somewhat approach analysis castle history architecture castle popular sight tourists artists 1870s gatehouse fitted form house oversee property following work castle good condition late 1880s 20th 21st centuries repairs castle required carried heir help family faced increasing financial difficulty 20th century castle formally opened visitors revenue property funds repairs remained short supply 1930s estate financial difficulties payment sets death duties added family problems despite receiving considerable numbers visitors increasingly impractical maintain castle calls state property decades owners philip declined proposals continued run castle privately finally agreed place castle english_heritage castle left organisation death castle passed english_heritage largely minimal material place needed fresh restoration options taking forward work including restoring castle resemble particular period history interactive approaches living history communicate context visitors site demonstrate restoration techniques appropriate different periods rejected favour policy physical intervention restoration preserving building condition passed english_heritage including interior archaeologist described encouraging visitors undergo personal discovery sense historical relationship event castle background extensive programme restoration work carried august december 21st century castle continues operated english_heritage tourist attraction receiving visitors conjunction english_heritage named boeing aircraft castle final month flying castle protected law grade listed building scheduled monument architecture structure castle built patch slightly rising ground basin took form solar block hall attached northern southern tower combination hall tower uncommon england 13th century particularly northern england curtain wall destroyed 17th century enclosed courtyard gatehouse probably originally constructed stone rebuilt timber plaster controlling entrance wall reached feet high measured base moat courtyard feet feet contained additional buildings castle history probably including kitchen pulled castle surrounded moat feet feet uncertain originally dry moat 21st century water filled pond nearby stream digging moat raise height courtyard moat lake ponds probably intended viewed south tower parish church origins largely rebuilt middle 17th century lies alongside castle castle forms archaeologist describes comparatively complete ensemble medieval buildings survival unchanged extremely unusual considers best preserved medieval fortified manor houses england buildings gatehouse 17th century building exposed timber constructed local style features elaborate wooden carvings exterior interior including angels biblical characters dragons nude figures designed essentially ornamental building little defensive value south tower forms unequal pentagon shape storeys thick walls walls built contain stairs positioned spaces weakening structure meant large buttresses added tower construction support walls current floors victorian origin having built fire tower remains 13th century windows providing protection winter basement originally accessible floor provided secure area storage addition containing floor formed original entrance tower contains 17th century fireplace original 13th century chimney second floor subdivided past restored form single chamber built roof south tower provides views surrounding landscape 13th century protective wooden fitted gaps english civil war equipped additional wooden defences protect garrison hall solar block adjacent south tower designed symmetrical seen courtyard addition additional stone buttresses 19th century altered appearance hall feet long feet wide large wooden 13th century arches supporting roof unusually given size lateral wooden vertical king posts roof rest 19th century stone supports originally reached ground roof considered historian rare survival period medieval period wooden screen cut north end providing dining area solar block storeys cellar probably acted living space moved castle solar room floor reached external steps wood carved wooden fireplace 17th century origin probably originally brightly painted included spy holes hall observed solar storey north tower reached 13th century staircase hall leads floor floor divided separate rooms shortly construction tower contain decorative tiles probably house walls second floor half stone walls beneath tower original 13th century fireplace wooden roof 19th century modeled 13th century original windows 17th century details personal marks hall solar north tower constructed direction carpenter late early interpretation castle intended military fortification long ago antiquarian observed mansion castle strength recently historian described castle forming lightly fortified home providing security intended resist military attack historian describes military features superficial picturesque residence fortification weaknesses positioning gatehouse wrong castle facing away road huge windows hall reaching ground making access relatively easy vulnerability intentional builder newly member upper class wanted erect fortification threatened established region nonetheless castle intended dramatic military appearance echoing castles built edward visitors approached castle causeway excellent view south tower potentially framed reflected water filled moat south tower probably intended resemble contemporary castles probably originally shared banded stonework describes south tower adding prestige security visitors passed impressive outside main hall block entering castle notes point view medieval visitor carved 17th century
Stokesay Castle