Your bike and a ruin
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Moreton Corbet Castle
"The monument includes the earthwork, ruined and buried remains of the medieval enclosure castle at Moreton Corbet, the ruined and buried remains of the country house to which it was converted in the 16th century, and the earthwork and buried remains of its formal gardens protected within three separate areas. Moreton Corbet is situated on low-lying ground on the west side of the Roden Valley, 12km north east of Shrewsbury. The medieval castle was established by the Toret family, probably in the 12th century, and was then known as Moreton Toret. It consisted of a small keep on the west side of a moated platform, and was probably surrounded by a timber stockade. The property passed by marriage to the Corbets of Wattlesborough, who provided the castle with a stone curtain wall with a gatehouse in its north east angle. A medieval settlement is known to have grown up around the castle and was still inhabited in 1503, but appears to have been deserted when the castle was rebuilt soon after this date. Its remains will have been modified by the construction of post-medieval buildings and roads, and the aerodrome to the south, and they are not included in the scheduling. The 16th century remodelling of the castle took place in two phases. The first has not been precisely dated, however the style of the remains suggests it was underway during the 1560s, under the ownership of Sir Andrew Corbet, who was several times Sheriff of Salop. During this phase the gatehouse was extensively refaced and part of the curtain wall between it and the keep was rebuilt. A new east range was constructed, along a different alignment from the curtain wall, with a great hall at its southern end which encroached on the earlier moat. The second phase of remodelling involved the construction of an L-shaped south range, arranged around a courtyard and incorporating the recently rebuilt east range. The south range is dated 1579 and, although begun in Sir Andrew's lifetime, it was almost certainly inspired if not designed by his eldest son Robert. Robert Corbet was a courtier and diplomat who travelled extensively in Europe and, according to Camden, `carried away with the affectionate delight of Architecture, began to build in a barraine place a most gorgeous and stately house, after the Italian model ...'. The south range, which housed a suite of large chambers, obliterated the medieval defences and was built over a section of the infilled moat. Its southern facade still shows the ostentatious nature of its classical theme, which incorporates Doric and Ionic columns in a symmetrical design. South of the new house extensive formal gardens were created to complement its grandeur and symmetry. A contemporary document refers to `a garden with an orchard adjoining it .... divers solars (solaria) cut into one rock, and .... divers covered walks and arbours'. Robert Corbet died in 1583 leaving his house unfinished, and during the Civil War it was damaged and subsequently set on fire by the Parliamentarian forces. Later sold by Sir Vincent Corbet to pay off his Civil War debts, the house was redeemed by Andrew Corbet in 1743; however plans for its repair were never carried out, and the Corbets' preferred residence in the 18th century was Shawbury Park. By 1776 the south range was roofless, and early 19th century drawings by Buckler show the buildings in almost the ruinous state in which they stand today. Moreton Corbet castle remains in the ownership of the Corbet family, and in the care of the Secretary of State and is Listed Grade I. St Bartholomew's Church, which is not included in the scheduling, to the north of the castle contains several monuments to the Corbet family. The remains of the medieval castle are constructed of coursed dressed sandstone blocks. The north wall and parts of the east and west walls of the keep stand to the height of the wall-walk, with parts of the parapet wall remaining. Originally rectangular in plan, the keep measured 12m x 10m externally, and has pilaster buttresses at its angles. It is divided internally into three stages, the second floor chamber probably being a later insertion, and the north wall retains a fireplace at first floor level, with the remains of a stone hood and polygonal shafts with foliate carved capitals. The 14th century curtain wall extends north eastwards from the north west angle of the keep and appears to have enclosed a roughly triangular area. Its southern extent has been obscured by later developments, however evidence for the original layout of the curtain wall will survive below ground. Two medieval sections stand between the keep and two-storey gatehouse, which retains some medieval fabric despite extensive 16th century remodelling. The gatehouse, now approached by a modern wooden staircase, has a chamfered plinth and central chamfered archway with the remains of a 16th century window above it. Rectangular windows light the first floor at either side. A carved elephant and castle decorate the datestone above the entrance which is inscribed `SAC 1579', recording Sir Andrew Corbet's 16th century modifications to the medieval structure of the castle. The outer wall of his east range survives as standing ruin; an old drawing shows that the upper end of the great hall, the south end of the range, was formerly lit by a large mullioned and transomed bay window. The south range is also dated 1579, on a shield on the south west corner, and in the form `ER21' at the south east corner. It is constructed of brick on a plinth of coursed sandstone blocks, and is faced in ashlar. Originally L-shaped in plan, the west face, parts of the north and east faces, and much of the south face stand to their full height. The five-bay design housed two main storeys and an attic, and had a moulded pediment and cornice. The grandeur and symmetry of the original design can still be appreciated from the remains of the south face, whose two intermediate bays are lit by three-light mullioned and transomed windows. The central and end bays project slightly and house massive five-light windows, with ogee-shaped gables above incorporating three-light windows with triangular pediments. Attached Doric columns ornament the ground floor, and fluted Ionic columns the slightly taller first floor, in addition to carved pedestals and carved beasts at the corners of the building. Two small doorways in the intermediate bays have small caryatids with Ionic capitals. Internally, several divisions remain, as well as a number of fireplaces, one retaining its moulded surround and cornice. The rear wing, which incorporated the earlier east range, is now largely demolished. Old illustrations show that the north wall had a central seven-light window flanked by two four-light windows with ogee-shaped gables. The west wall of the range has no columns, instead having pilasters on the first floor; the windows are of three and four lights. This slightly irregular scheme contrasts with the carefully executed south face and may have been carried out after Robert Corbet's death. The medieval castle was surrounded by a moat which survives as a broad shallow depression up to 15m wide around the north west, north, and east sides of the castle. There is a low causeway across the moat in front of the gatehouse, under the modern stairway. The south end of the eastern arm of the moat has been obscured by part of the 16th century east wing, and the southern arm was infilled by the construction of the south range, however evidence for the original extent of the moat will survive below ground in these areas. The remains of the formal gardens associated with the 16th century house extend southwards from the house in the form of a large platform, c.130m square, which has been modified in places by agriculture and by the construction of the road which dog-legs inside its western and southern edges. The platform is defined by a scarp slope which is up to 1.2m high along the western half of the south side. The western side of the platform has been partly removed by small-scale quarrying, and the eastern side is indicated by a very spread scarp which now merges with the natural slope of the land. A survey of the remains in the 1980s located low mounds at the remaining three corners of the platform, the north western one having been modified by the construction of Castle Farm. These will have housed gazebos from which the gardens could be viewed, and the mound at the south west corner of the garden is clearly visible. Only the surviving south western mound and an adjoining section of platform are included in the scheduling. West of Castle Farm the earthwork remains of a causeway are believed to represent the original access to the house from the road to the west, with further earthworks to either side representing further garden features designed to ornament the approach. The sets of modern wooden steps are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included."
"The monument includes the earthwork, ruined and buried remains of the medieval enclosure castle at Moreton Corbet, the ruined and buried remains of the country house to which it was converted in the 16th century, and the earthwork and buried remains of its formal gardens protected within three separate areas. Moreton Corbet is situated on low-lying ground on the west side of the Roden Valley, 12km north east of Shrewsbury. The medieval castle was established by the Toret family, probably in the 12th century, and was then known as Moreton Toret. It consisted of a small keep on the west side of a moated platform, and was probably surrounded by a timber stockade. The property passed by marriage to the Corbets of Wattlesborough, who provided the castle with a stone curtain wall with a gatehouse in its north east angle. A medieval settlement is known to have grown up around the castle and was still inhabited in 1503, but appears to have been deserted when the castle was rebuilt soon after this date. Its remains will have been modified by the construction of post-medieval buildings and roads, and the aerodrome to the south, and they are not included in the scheduling. The 16th century remodelling of the castle took place in two phases. The first has not been precisely dated, however the style of the remains suggests it was underway during the 1560s, under the ownership of Sir Andrew Corbet, who was several times Sheriff of Salop. During this phase the gatehouse was extensively refaced and part of the curtain wall between it and the keep was rebuilt. A new east range was constructed, along a different alignment from the curtain wall, with a great hall at its southern end which encroached on the earlier moat. The second phase of remodelling involved the construction of an L-shaped south range, arranged around a courtyard and incorporating the recently rebuilt east range. The south range is dated 1579 and, although begun in Sir Andrew's lifetime, it was almost certainly inspired if not designed by his eldest son Robert. Robert Corbet was a courtier and diplomat who travelled extensively in Europe and, according to Camden, `carried away with the affectionate delight of Architecture, began to build in a barraine place a most gorgeous and stately house, after the Italian model ...'. The south range, which housed a suite of large chambers, obliterated the medieval defences and was built over a section of the infilled moat. Its southern facade still shows the ostentatious nature of its classical theme, which incorporates Doric and Ionic columns in a symmetrical design. South of the new house extensive formal gardens were created to complement its grandeur and symmetry. A contemporary document refers to `a garden with an orchard adjoining it .... divers solars (solaria) cut into one rock, and .... divers covered walks and arbours'. Robert Corbet died in 1583 leaving his house unfinished, and during the Civil War it was damaged and subsequently set on fire by the Parliamentarian forces. Later sold by Sir Vincent Corbet to pay off his Civil War debts, the house was redeemed by Andrew Corbet in 1743; however plans for its repair were never carried out, and the Corbets' preferred residence in the 18th century was Shawbury Park. By 1776 the south range was roofless, and early 19th century drawings by Buckler show the buildings in almost the ruinous state in which they stand today. Moreton Corbet castle remains in the ownership of the Corbet family, and in the care of the Secretary of State and is Listed Grade I. St Bartholomew's Church, which is not included in the scheduling, to the north of the castle contains several monuments to the Corbet family. The remains of the medieval castle are constructed of coursed dressed sandstone blocks. The north wall and parts of the east and west walls of the keep stand to the height of the wall-walk, with parts of the parapet wall remaining. Originally rectangular in plan, the keep measured 12m x 10m externally, and has pilaster buttresses at its angles. It is divided internally into three stages, the second floor chamber probably being a later insertion, and the north wall retains a fireplace at first floor level, with the remains of a stone hood and polygonal shafts with foliate carved capitals. The 14th century curtain wall extends north eastwards from the north west angle of the keep and appears to have enclosed a roughly triangular area. Its southern extent has been obscured by later developments, however evidence for the original layout of the curtain wall will survive below ground. Two medieval sections stand between the keep and two-storey gatehouse, which retains some medieval fabric despite extensive 16th century remodelling. The gatehouse, now approached by a modern wooden staircase, has a chamfered plinth and central chamfered archway with the remains of a 16th century window above it. Rectangular windows light the first floor at either side. A carved elephant and castle decorate the datestone above the entrance which is inscribed `SAC 1579', recording Sir Andrew Corbet's 16th century modifications to the medieval structure of the castle. The outer wall of his east range survives as standing ruin; an old drawing shows that the upper end of the great hall, the south end of the range, was formerly lit by a large mullioned and transomed bay window. The south range is also dated 1579, on a shield on the south west corner, and in the form `ER21' at the south east corner. It is constructed of brick on a plinth of coursed sandstone blocks, and is faced in ashlar. Originally L-shaped in plan, the west face, parts of the north and east faces, and much of the south face stand to their full height. The five-bay design housed two main storeys and an attic, and had a moulded pediment and cornice. The grandeur and symmetry of the original design can still be appreciated from the remains of the south face, whose two intermediate bays are lit by three-light mullioned and transomed windows. The central and end bays project slightly and house massive five-light windows, with ogee-shaped gables above incorporating three-light windows with triangular pediments. Attached Doric columns ornament the ground floor, and fluted Ionic columns the slightly taller first floor, in addition to carved pedestals and carved beasts at the corners of the building. Two small doorways in the intermediate bays have small caryatids with Ionic capitals. Internally, several divisions remain, as well as a number of fireplaces, one retaining its moulded surround and cornice. The rear wing, which incorporated the earlier east range, is now largely demolished. Old illustrations show that the north wall had a central seven-light window flanked by two four-light windows with ogee-shaped gables. The west wall of the range has no columns, instead having pilasters on the first floor; the windows are of three and four lights. This slightly irregular scheme contrasts with the carefully executed south face and may have been carried out after Robert Corbet's death. The medieval castle was surrounded by a moat which survives as a broad shallow depression up to 15m wide around the north west, north, and east sides of the castle. There is a low causeway across the moat in front of the gatehouse, under the modern stairway. The south end of the eastern arm of the moat has been obscured by part of the 16th century east wing, and the southern arm was infilled by the construction of the south range, however evidence for the original extent of the moat will survive below ground in these areas. The remains of the formal gardens associated with the 16th century house extend southwards from the house in the form of a large platform, c.130m square, which has been modified in places by agriculture and by the construction of the road which dog-legs inside its western and southern edges. The platform is defined by a scarp slope which is up to 1.2m high along the western half of the south side. The western side of the platform has been partly removed by small-scale quarrying, and the eastern side is indicated by a very spread scarp which now merges with the natural slope of the land. A survey of the remains in the 1980s located low mounds at the remaining three corners of the platform, the north western one having been modified by the construction of Castle Farm. These will have housed gazebos from which the gardens could be viewed, and the mound at the south west corner of the garden is clearly visible. Only the surviving south western mound and an adjoining section of platform are included in the scheduling. West of Castle Farm the earthwork remains of a causeway are believed to represent the original access to the house from the road to the west, with further earthworks to either side representing further garden features designed to ornament the approach. The sets of modern wooden steps are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included."
