Alton Castle is in the village of Alton

Alton, Staffordshire

Alton is a village in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is noted for the theme park Alton Towers, built around the site of Alton Mansion , which was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury and designed by Augustus Pugin....

, Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

. The castle is also known as or referred to in historical documents as Alverton or Aulton. The remains of the castle have been designated by English Heritage

English Heritage

English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...

 as a Grade I listed building. It is also a scheduled ancient monument. Despite its close proximity, it is entirely separate from the theme park of Alton Towers

Alton Towers

Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...

.

Physical description

The castle is located on a hill above the Churnet Valley

River Churnet

The River Churnet is a river that flows in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove.- Etymology :The origins of the name "Churnet" are unknown, though it is thought to derive from the pre-English, British name for the river.- Course :...

.

History

Alton Castle was founded by Bertram de Verdon

Bertram de Verdun

Bertram de Verdun was the name of several members of the Norman family of Verdun, native of Avranchin.For the historian Mark Hagger, the Verdun family lived lavishly in Normandy where they were minor land holders, and after the Norman conquest of England they were granted land in England...

 and built on a rocky precipice overlooking the River Churnet

River Churnet

The River Churnet is a river that flows in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove.- Etymology :The origins of the name "Churnet" are unknown, though it is thought to derive from the pre-English, British name for the river.- Course :...

 in the 12th century. It was substantially reconstructed during the 15th century and subsequently was damaged during the Civil War

English Civil War

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...

. In 1847 it was significantly reconstructed by Pugin

Augustus Pugin

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, and theorist of design, now best remembered for his work in the Gothic Revival style, particularly churches and the Palace of Westminster. Pugin was the father of E. W...

 as a Gothic

Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....

 country house for the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury.

The site was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy

Sisters of Mercy

The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....

 in 1855 and the presbytery became their convent. The castle remained a private residence until 1919 when the Sisters of Mercy bought it for £3,500 to extend their boarding school. The school closed in 1989 and the castle was left empty until in 1996.

In 1996 it was established by the Archdiocese of Birmingham

Archdiocese of Birmingham

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham is one of the principal Latin-rite Catholic administrative divisions of England and Wales in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church....

 as a Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 Youth Retreat Centre. This is a Grade II* listed building.

Present Day

Alton Castle is now in its 15th year as a residential youth centre and UK registered charity working with children aged between 9 and 13 years. Over 8,000 children visit the Castle each year, mainly with schools, but also from other children’s organisations such as youth groups and charities who work with children with disabilities. Some of the children have suffered disadvantages, including disability, and many come from inner city areas of social and economic deprivation.

Alton Castle aims to raise self-esteem, to strengthen and build friendships, and to help each child realise their potential as human beings. The children participate in a variety of activities during their stay including mountain biking, trekking, archery, rockclimbing and survival.

See also

• Alton Towers
  Alton Towers
  Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
  
   - a nearby but separate property
• List of Grade I listed buildings in Staffordshire