- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- c. 1220 · 13th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Commissioned by
- Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester
- Coordinates
- 53.1287°, -2.6935°
History
The castle was begun around 1220 by Ranulf de Blondeville, Earl of Chester, after his return from crusade. He made use of the natural strength of the sandstone crag, already the site of a Bronze and Iron Age hillfort. When the line of the earls died out in 1237, Henry III took over the fortress, and it remained in royal hands for centuries. During the English Civil War in 1643 the Royalist captain Thomas Sandford climbed in with a handful of men and talked the Parliamentarian garrison into surrender. The Royalists then held out through a long siege until late 1645, and in 1646 the castle was slighted so it could never be used again.
What to see
An uphill walk through woodland and the outer bailey, with remains of walls and towers, leads to the ruins. The inner ward is cut off by a deep rock-hewn ditch, spanned by a bridge to its imposing gatehouse. From the edge of the cliff there is a sweeping view over the Cheshire plain to the hills of Wales. The castle is in the care of English Heritage, and a small museum tells the story of the hill since prehistory.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q539538
Popularity: articles about this site in 24 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).