Description

WESTON-UNDER- HAWKSTONE PARK
SJ 5629-5729 REDCASTLE C.P.

16/181 Red Castle
-
28.10.60
GV II
Castle, remains of. Begun 1227 for Henry de Audley, Sheriff of Shropshire
and Staffordshire with romantic additions of C18. Regularly coursed
and dressed red sandstone; now roofless. Situated on 2 narrow ridges
of rock with a deep ravine between, separated into upper and lower
wards by a deep rock-cut ditch running at right-angles across ravine.
Apart from the Great Tower and a smaller turret at north-east corner,
only fragments of towers and curtain wall survive. Great Tower: still
stands to considerable height: circular plan with chamfered plinth
to bottom and rectangular slits to tower. Deep well beneath, hollowed
out of sandstone as is bottom part of tower, approached by adit created
c.1780. The height of the tower was increased by either Sir Rowland
or Sir Richard Hill in late C18 to make it a more conspicuous object
in the view from Grotto Hill (q.v. under Grotto), but it has again
been reduced and what now survives (March 1986) appears to be largely
medieval work. North-east tower: only a fragment of small circular tower
survives. 2 similar towers formerly guarded south-east and south-
west angles of lower ward but the former has now almost completely
disappeared above ground and the latter is very fragmentary. Traces
of curtain wall on ridges to east and west with more substantial fragment
spanning ditch between upper and lower wards on west. The Lion's Den
(q.v.) is in the corresponding position to east. The site is very
overgrown and apparently has never been systematically investigated,
making it difficult to distinguish between medieval work and C18 'romantic'
additions. The natural defences are very impressive, probably never
needing much strengthening except on south, and can be compared with
those at Heighley Castle (Staffs) (q.v. under Madeley C.P., Borough
of Newcastle-under-Lyme), also begun by Henry de Audley. Scheduled
Ancient Monument, County No. 15; B.O.E. p.146; V.C.H. Vol. I (1908)
p.410; C.L. (July 3, 1958) pp.20-21.

Listing NGR: SJ5722429414

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26530342

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)