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RUYTON XI TOWNS CASTLE

Shropshire

Ruyton XI Towns Castle, Shropshire

This ivy-shrouded ruin has surely the most bizarre name of any Castle in England...to give it its full title "Ruyton of the Eleven Towns Castle".

A motte and bailey was founded here before 1148 when it was destroyed by Fulk FitzWarine. The Castle was subsequently rebuilt only to be destroyed again, this time by the Welsh, in 1212. The Castle was abandoned in favour of the one at nearby Knockin.  However in the early 1300s the ruined Castle was sold to Edmund, Earl of Arundel, who had it rebuilt in 1313.  In 1326 the Castle was acquired by Roger Mortimer, the favourite of Queen Isabella who subsequently was put to death by her son Henry III.  Most of the ruins of the Castle probably date from this period, and the keep was most likely more of a defensive tower as it is size is quite small.

It seems that this new Castle was also not much favoured as it too was soon abandoned and in the inquisition after Richard, Earl of Arundel's execution in 1397 the Castle wasn't mentioned at all. Some of the stonework was removed soon afterwards to repair the Church.

The ruins stand in the churchyard.

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2019


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