Shrewsbury Castle

Situation

On the neck of land to the north-north-east of Shrewsbury between the bends of the loop of the River Severn.

1067 William I ordered a castle constructed. This would have been a wooden motte & bailey construction
1069 "The Welsh, with men of Cheshire, laid siege to the King's castle of Shrewsbury aided by the townsmen under Edric the Wild. The castle held, the town was burnt.
1074 Castle granted to Roger de Mongomery - Earl of Shrewsbury
1086 - Domesday book recods 51 houses recently demolished for an extension to the castle - the outer bailey, and a similar number destroyed to give a clear field of fire around the castle.
1102 - the castle reverted to the Crown, when Robert de Bellesme's titles surrendered to Henry I
William Fitz-Alan of Oswestry granted custody of the castle. He fortified it for Henry I's daughter Matilda, against King Stephen
1139 King Stephen stormed the castle, and hung nerarly a hundred of the garrison
1160s pipe rolls record expenditure on the castle
A (stone) shell keep built on the motte mound, and a modest curtain wall around the inner bailey
1215 Llywelyn ap Iorweth captured the town and castle
1218 construction of town wall started, to prevent repetition of 1215, under orders of Henry III. Work includedwalling the east (riverside) side of the outer bailey.
1234 Llywelyn ap Iorwerth again attacked Shrewsbury
1242 town walls completed, and 200 cartloads of spare stone given to Dominoican friars.
1270* A great wooden tower collapsed - this was within the shell keep on the motte.