Stapleton Castle, Herefordshire
★★★★★
Remains of a 17th century manor house, mostly destroyed in the Civil War, on a motte, site of a 12th century castle
Photo Tour (14 images)
Management
Private; entry only with occasional tours
Location
The village of Stapleton, one mile from the B4355 at Presteigne; LD8 2LS
Stapleton Castle is a little-known site, in a remote location in far west Herefordshire, just one mile from Presteigne and the Welsh border. The original castle was built in the 12th century, most likely during 'The Anarchy' (1138 to 1153), when the country was disrupted by the war of succession between Stephen and Matilda. It sits atop a small natural hill rising 60 feet above the surrounding fields, just south of higher ground, on the north side of the wide valley of the River Lugg; a strategically important position.
Of the medieval castle there is virtually nothing left; instead what survives are the ruins of a 17th-century manor house that was developed from the former structure, a set of angular walls with large, red brick-lined windows and doorways, accompanied by a few windblown trees, with fine views all around, over the rolling hills of the Welsh Marches.
The ruins are privately owned, and fenced off, with no public access, partly because of the unstable condition of the walls, but the place can be seen on occasions during guided tours, organised by the Stapleton Estate.
History
The builder of Stapleton Castle is thought to be Osbern Fitz Hugh, of nearby Richards Castle. It passed by marriage to the Say family, then the more powerful Mortimer family, and later to the Cornwalls, in whose ownership it stayed for over three centuries; in the 16th century the family greatly altered the former castle, transforming it into an H-shaped manor house. The place was eventually sold, and part was later occupied by a farmhouse, yet all was ruinous by the 1800s.
The Castle
Stapleton Castle is approached by minor roads, one also reaching the adjacent farm, at the centre of the estate. The hill on which the castle sits is partly wooded at the base, mostly treeless above, and near the top are a few earthworks and overgrown remnants of the foundations of the medieval castle, which was based around a shell keep. Above are the manor house ruins; the original building had an H shape, the two sides angled west-east. There are three fragments remaining - the east end of the north wing, still connected to the east wall of the central section, part of the west side of the south wing, and the south side of the south wing. All are similar in appearance, formed of thin, grey stones, seemingly to a high standard of masonry.
