Whittington Castle

Hello again people and pooches.  Joe the Cocker here after a trip to Whittington Castle, just over the border from us in Shropshire. The castle was built in the 13th century on a site of a wooden motte and bailey structure. The website https://whittingtoncastle.co.uk/  provides an in-depth description of the history and facilities of the present-day attraction.

Whittington Castle presently stands on the English side of the England-Wales border but has previously been a Welsh fortification. Legend says that the Holy Grail was once kept here!

Being only only 9 miles from where we live, we have visited the area several times. So this time we thought that we would describe it to you. We usually walk around the village and the castle before moving on to nearby Ellesmere, where we walk around the lake.

As we approached the castle, we passed part of the moat that once completely surrounded the fortress.

The moat is a home to waterfowl, including swans, ducks, and grebes.

The entrance to the castle from the roadside is via a stone bridge and passing through two of the castle’s circular towers. There were originally seven towers, but the castle fell into disrepair after the Civil War. One tower collapsed after a severe frost in 1760. Much of the fallen stone was plundered and used for road and house building nearby.

We walked past the front entrance, passing the moat/pond on our left.

We avoided the nesting swan that followed our every step from the footpath to the rear of the castle. She looked like she was ready for 15 rounds with Mike Tyson!

Only £2 to park.

I soon realised why my human chose to enter the castle grounds by this entrance. The cafe was right in front of us. He was obviously needing his caffeine fix and his cake fix!

I spotted an interesting contraption before we reached the cafe. The stocks! I was wondering how I could get the big feller into them. I don’t think that his head would fit!

We walked to the main entrance where a 12 metre long drawbridge was once fitted.

On looking upwards, we spotted a medieval lady peering down at us. A bit spooky!

A modern wooden bridge took us over the ditch between the inner and outer bailey.

There are some good views of the castle from this point.

I was watching the ducks swimming under the bridge and awaiting my opportunity to jump into the water. Sadly, I was made to stay on my lead because my human thought that I would eat the ducks. As if!

We spent the next half hour wandering around the ruined towers while my human clicked away with his camera phone.

He took photos through all the remaining windows while I had to be patient and wait for him.

I apologise for him. He can get carried away sometimes.

‘Another window shot, dad?’

‘Let this be the last one!’

OK. Last one!

Only just above the foundations remain of the main part of the castle.

The castle well needed to be inspected by myself!

The inner gate house tower stands in ruins, but as the information board shows, it would have been imposing in its day.

My human doesn’t know what this circular construction was. He isn’t as smart as he would like to think.

The view to the entrance towers from the inner bailey.

We spotted another nesting swan in the ditch by the roadside.

We headed towards the rear of the castle through to investigate a little pavilion that we could see from the inner bailey entrance tower.

The pavilion stands on top of a man made mound in what is known as the Pleasure Garden. The garden was laid out by Fulk and Lady Eleanor Fitzwarren in the 14th century but is currently a bare grassy area. An information board depicts the garden as it was originally laid out.

The view from the top of the mound would have been of a formal garden with a layered herber, a terraced area for growing herbs.

Stick time. There is always time for stick time.

There is always time for one last photo from the castle over the moat. Oh yes, and a visit to the excellent dog friendly cafe. Till next time!