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Page 2.

Fortified Place

When the last male de Lacy died about 1240, the family estates were divided between his two daughters. The castle eventually came into the possession of Geoffrey de Geneville, a French baron from Champagne who was a distant relative of Eleanor, queen to Henry 111. Geoffrey spent most of his time in Ireland and in 1283 he gave his land at Ludlow to his son Peter.

It was probably Peter de Geneville who started to build a fine range of domestic buildings within the inner bailey. The Welsh conquests of Edward 1 had brought more stable conditions to the border and these buildings helped to change the castle from a military outpost into a luxurious palace. They are among the best buildings of this period in the country.

The refurbished castle made a useful base for Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, who married a daughter of Peter de Geneville. He was the leader of a group of barons who dethroned the unpopular Edward 11 in 1326. Mortimer was created Earl of March but he over-reached himself and was deposed and executed by rivals in 1330. Later Mortimers regained power and royal favour and their activities brought Ludlow into the mainstream of national politics.

The last male Mortimer died in 1425 but Ludlow Castle passed to his sister's son Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, who was leader of the Yorkists in the Wars of the Roses. The affiliation brought new importance to Ludlow - but also resulted in it being taken and sacked by the Lancastrians in 1459.

The castle from the quarry 1896 notice the paths around the castle - walks were first laid out here in the 18th century for the gentry to enjoy. At the time it was a very popular pastime to promenade along such walks, meet friends, gossip and show off your finery in this way.

The castle entrance 1892.
The entrance to the castle is still guarded, over one hundred years later, by this cannon. In the summer guided tours of the town are held at weekends, and these always meet by the cannon outside the castle entrance.

The castle Interior.
This is a lovely view of the main part of the castle. The original castle is the massive keep in the centre, with later buildings added on the right. The shrubs below the castle have since been removed. They are growing in the dry moat, which originally served as a quarry providing the stone with which to build the castle.;

The Round Chapel 1892.
What a romantic setting for a young, courting(?) couple! The great Hall dates from the 13th century: It was here that two princes, Edward and Richard, lived in the 1400s. they then went to live in the Tower of London - and mysteriously disappeared from history.

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