With our family back early from their camper van expedition owing to inclement weather, we spent part of Friday with them visiting Chester, where we took a boat down the river Dee.
On the Saturday, we set off into Wales again, slightly further south of Wrexham this time, to Chirk Castle.
Chirk Castle was built in 1295. When King Edward I defeated Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, he established a Marcher lordship and granted it to Roger Mortimer in recognition of his service in the wars. Roger Mortimer built the castle to guard the Dee valley and to be the local administrative centre. It was probably overseen by Master James of St George, an architect much favoured by Edward I and it was part of Edward I’s chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It is the only one of Edward’s Marcher fortresses which is still inhabited today.
It has had quite a checkered history. Roger Mortimer supported his nephew (the other Roger Mortimer) and took up arms against the King (Edward II by that time) and was thrown into the Tower of London where he died. Chirk castle then regularly changed hands between some of the important men of the age as they fell in and out of favour.
The castle was eventually bought by Sir Thomas Myddleton in 1593 and passed down through the Myddleton family. The family leased it to Baron Howard de Walden from WW1 until after WW2, but later returned to Chirk castle. It is now owned by the National Trust.
This is the entrance, still massive, but windows have now been cut in the walls to modernise the original medieval towers.
There were 4 round towers that allowed archers a wide field of fire. The four corner towers were joined by a narrow curtain wall with half-towers in each side. The design has changed a bit over the years, as you can see from the courtyard.
At the far side of the courtyard, you may just be able to see the stocks, which I got Paul to try out for size.
There’s even room for a friend!
There’s even room for a friend!
Inside the castle, there is fairly little evidence of the medieval, though there is still a dungeon deep under one of the towers. I took one look at the dark narrow spiral stairs and decided not to bother going down. Paul went and said it was very dark and he had no desire to stay for long - a sentiment with which I’m sure those imprisoned there would concur!
Changing fashions are reflected in the different State Rooms you pass through. You enter through the Cromwell Hall, with a collection of rare Civil War era firearms. Other rooms display the influence of the 18th century neo-classical style, and some rooms are influenced by later Pugin neo-gothic styles.
The dining room is currently in the neo-classical style, with plasterwork decoration on the walls and ceiling influenced by Robert Adam.
Apparently, this room was re-decorated by Pugin in neo-gothic style, with the panels remained to represent dark oak, but it was returned to the original style in 1963. I think I like it better this way.
Apparently, this room was re-decorated by Pugin in neo-gothic style, with the panels remained to represent dark oak, but it was returned to the original style in 1963. I think I like it better this way.
Next came the Salon.
The Salon is also Robert Adam inspired, and was created in the 1770s. The coffered ceiling, which I’m afraid you can hardly see in my photo is filled with paintings of Greek mythology. It was redecorated by Pugin who re-coloured the ceiling and put up flock wallpaper! It has been since removed. The harpsichord you might just be able to see part of in the far left of my photo was made in 1742 and is one of the earliest examples of the maker’s work which is still in playable condition.
Below is the Long Gallery. It is 100 feet long and was designed to create indoor space for gentle exercise when it was too cold and wet to go outside.
It was begun in 1670, which was when the wainscot work was done. The ceiling panels are the work of Pugin, who also designed the cast iron fireplaces which you really can’t see too clearly in my photo as it’s so dark.
It was begun in 1670, which was when the wainscot work was done. The ceiling panels are the work of Pugin, who also designed the cast iron fireplaces which you really can’t see too clearly in my photo as it’s so dark.
There are various painting here, but I took this next photo for the cabinet.
Its called the King’s Cabinet and was a gift from King Charles II to Sir Thomas Myddleton. Sir Thomas had originally been a Parliamentarian, but grew disillusioned with them and ended supporting the restoration of the monarchy and Charles II.
The photo below is of the Kings Bedroom
It commemorates the two nights Charles I spent at Chirk Castle during the Civil War, though it is far from certain that he actually slept in this room. He certainly didn’t sleep in this bed, because it wasn’t made until 1700, 50 years after the King was executed.
Outside, you can visit the laundries and the drying ground.
I am sorry to say I can recognise quite a few of the artefacts in the laundry, a hangover from my own childhood. The mangles look horribly familiar, there’s a washboard just outside my photo, and the dollies, the things like 3 legged stools with a long handle are not unlike things I saw my grannie use. The big tub on the left was to do the washing in, and the maids got inside it to trample the washing. We did this with sheets in the bath when I was a child, though our clothes were all washed by hand. The thing like a playpen on wheels was for moving the washing about, as there was an awful lot of it. The program for the week shows the laundry maids washing on Monday and Tuesday, mangling on Wednesday, ironing on Thursday and Friday, sorting the clean washing and cleaning the laundry on Saturday, and bathing and going to church on Sunday. The drying ground was a large back lawn required to hang out such a huge quantity of washing.
The grounds are quite extensive, but we didn’t spend too long exploring them because there was a large group of medieval re-enactors re-enacting the battle of Crogen which took place nearby, and of which I had never heard. It was a battle between Henry II and an alliance of various Welsh princes and took place in 1165.
We couldn’t get near enough to see any of the Battle, but, like any of these things, I imagine it was more interesting to take part in than to watch. We did like the medieval encampment though.
Visiting children all had a great time, they were all recruited into a children’s army and equipped with tabard, wooden swords and shields and encouraged to line up and bash the swords on the shields and shout threats at the line of medieval soldiers and their parents.
After all these visits, it was time to return home, and we drove back to Surrey on Sunday.
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