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The Kerry Way, an ancient Bronze
Age track in Shropshire, runs from the village of Kerry to Bishop’s Castle, but
the history of Bishop’s Castle begins when the Saxon Edwin Shakehead was
miraculously cured of the palsy by St Ethelbert—or was it just his tomb—who
knows? But it is to be found in Hereford Cathedral if you're interested. In
gratitude, Edwin gave land to the Bishop of Hereford who promptly built a castle
on the largest hill there.
It was built in 1087, a dangerous
year for the Normans. William the Conqueror had just died and the Welsh were
one of many who saw it as an opportunity to try their luck. It survived several Welsh attacks and
survived until the C18th when it endured the ignominy of being turned into a
bowling green. Much of its stone had long been cannibalised to transform a
growing town—predictably named Bishop's Castle.
Golf Green where once stood the Motte
The C18th hotel built from castle stone
Many of the buildings below were built from Castle stone
A winding lane leading to the main street
The main street leading to the church.
Known as the House on Crutches
The main street is a nice mix of Tudor and C18th.
It doesn't take long to walk to the church and an interesting splash of colour
The cottages make up for a grey and misty day
My favourite building, predictably,
is the Three Tuns brewery. Established in 1642 it is the oldest licensed
brewery in Britain. Remarkable in itself but then 1642 was a remarkable year.
It marked the start of the English Civil War, a time when people had good cause
to drown their sorrows. The Men of Clun and Bishop’s Castle formed a militia
loyal to neither king nor Parliament. Their sole intent was to preserve the
safety of their respective towns against both sides, though since neither town
was of great strategic importance, their impartiality was never challenged.
I first drank in the Three Tuns
some decades ago. Then it was an austere place with beautiful beer. They didn’t
sell crisps and disapproved of those who went to the Fish and Chip shop next
door. Both foods greased the lips thus marring the unique taste of the beer.
Not quite a religious experience but more enjoyable than many. Now, all has
changed. The Three Tuns has expanded and has a fine restaurant, though I would
still advise one to drink first and eat afterwards.
And after a few pints, rest assured, you're not hallucinating. Bishop's Castle is that kind of town.
It even has a lyrical ambulance for poetical emergencies
6 comments:
Looks like a fine town, Mike. My wife and I were within a long stone's throw of it last year when we visited Ludlow and areas nearby on our travels. It's a pity I didn't see your post prior to then and we would have surely swung through the Three Tuns for a pint.
Ludlow? A hop skip and a jump away from Monmouth. - another fine town and where I live. We could have met up. Never mind. I 'm sure you enjoyed Ludlow, Where else did you go?
Hmmm...I replied earlier but the comment appears to have disappeared into the ether. Ludlow was fantastic, though our stay in Shropshire was far far too short (just a single night). We started with a few nights in Cornwall, a visit to Hardy country, a few nights near the Cotswolds, a day each in Hay & Ludlow, and finished up with a few nights in the Dales. We're hopeless Anglophiles so I strongly doubt it will be our last trip. I'm planning a few blog posts about the trip if I ever get around to it.
I wish there was a castle nearby I could cannibalize. I could use the stone.
The emergency poet, not so much. But then you never know when a rhyme is necessary.
Looking forward to the blog post, Adam.
Maria, castle stones or rhymes? I suppose it depends on the quality of either or both. Shakespeare or sandstone.. Discuss. :)
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