Chirk Castle
Encyclopedia
Chirk Castle is a castle
located at Chirk
, Wrexham
, Wales
.
The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk
, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's
chain of fortresses across the north of Wales
. It guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley
. It was the administrative centre for the Marcher Lords
hip of Chirkland
The castle was bought by Thomas Myddelton
in 1595 for £5,000 (approx. £11 million as of 2008). His son, Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle
was a Parliamentarian
during the English Civil War
, but became a Royalist
during the Cheshire Rising of 1659. Following the Restoration
, his son became Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet
of Chirke.
During the 1930s the Castle was home to Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden
, a prominent patron of the arts and champion of Welsh culture
. The Myddelton family
resided at Chirk Castle until 2004. Lieutenant-Colonel
Ririd Myddleton
was an extra equerry
to Queen Elizabeth II
from 1952 until his death in 1988.
The castle is presently in the ownership of the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
and is open to the public between February and October. Access is by road; it is a stiff 45 minute walk from the railway station to the castle itself.The state rooms, towers and dungeons are staffed by well informed guides. The property is also notable for its gardens, with clipped yew hedges, herbaceous borders, rock gardens and terraces and surrounded by 18th century parkland.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
located at Chirk
Chirk
Chirk is a small town and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has a population of over 4,000....
, Wrexham
Wrexham (county borough)
Wrexham is a county borough centred on the town of Wrexham in north-east Wales. The county borough has a population of 130,200 inhabitants. Just under half of the population live either within the town of Wrexham or its surrounding conurbation of urban villages. The remainder living to the south...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk
Roger Mortimer de Chirk
Roger Mortimer de Chirk was a 14th century Marcher lord, notable for his opposition to Edward II of England during the Despenser War.-Background and Early Service:...
, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
chain of fortresses across the north of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley
Ceiriog Valley
The Ceiriog Valley or Dyffryn Ceiriog is the valley of the River Ceiriog in north-east Wales. It is also the name of a ward of the County Borough of Wrexham Until 1974 the valley was part of the traditional county of Denbighshire; then it became part of the short-lived county of Clwyd, which was...
. It was the administrative centre for the Marcher Lords
Marcher Lords
A Marcher Lord was a strong and trusted noble appointed by the King of England to guard the border between England and Wales.A Marcher Lord is the English equivalent of a margrave...
hip of Chirkland
Chirkland
Chirkland was a marcher lordship in north-east Wales, created from parts of Powys Fadog granted to Roger Mortimer, son of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, and administered from Chirk Castle....
The castle was bought by Thomas Myddelton
Thomas Myddelton
Sir Thomas Myddelton was the fourth son of Richard Myddelton, Governor of Denbigh, and Jane Dryhurst.As a youth, he was apprenticed to a grocer in London, and made his fortune in trade...
in 1595 for £5,000 (approx. £11 million as of 2008). His son, Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle
Thomas Myddelton (younger)
Sir Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle was a Welsh politician and Parliamentary general.-Early life:He was the son of Sir Thomas Myddelton. He matriculated from Queen's College, Oxford, on 22 February 1605, and became a student of Gray's Inn in 1607. he was knighted on 10 February 1617, and was M.P...
was a Parliamentarian
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, but became a Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
during the Cheshire Rising of 1659. Following the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
, his son became Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1646 and 1663...
of Chirke.
During the 1930s the Castle was home to Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden
Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden
Thomas Evelyn Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, 4th Baron Seaford , was a British peer, landowner, writer and patron of the arts. He was also a motorboat racer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...
, a prominent patron of the arts and champion of Welsh culture
Culture of Wales
Wales has a distinctive culture including its own language, customs, holidays and music.Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the leek and daffodil. The Welsh words for leeks and daffodils Wales has a distinctive culture including...
. The Myddelton family
Myddelton Baronets
The Myddelton Baronetcy, of Chirke in the County of Denbigh, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 4 July 1660 for Thomas Myddelton, Member of Parliament for Flint, Montgomery and Denbighshire. He was the son of the politician and Parliamentary general Sir Thomas Myddelton and...
resided at Chirk Castle until 2004. Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant-Colonel (UK)
Lieutenant colonel is a rank in the British Army and Royal Marines which is also used in many Commonwealth countries. The rank is superior to major, and subordinate to colonel...
Ririd Myddleton
Ririd Myddleton
Lieutenant-Colonel Ririd Myddelton, MVO DL JP , was a country gentleman and one-time member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom....
was an extra equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
from 1952 until his death in 1988.
The castle is presently in the ownership of the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and is open to the public between February and October. Access is by road; it is a stiff 45 minute walk from the railway station to the castle itself.The state rooms, towers and dungeons are staffed by well informed guides. The property is also notable for its gardens, with clipped yew hedges, herbaceous borders, rock gardens and terraces and surrounded by 18th century parkland.
See also
- Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
- List of castles in Wales
- List of gardens in Wales