Ludlow Castle

Ludlow Castle
Ludlow in Shropshire, England
Ludlow Castle from the south-east
Ludlow Castle
Coordinates	52°22′02″N 2°43′23″W / 52.3672°N 2.7230°W / 52.3672; -2.7230Coordinates: 52°22′02″N 2°43′23″W / 52.3672°N 2.7230°W / 52.3672; -2.7230
Grid reference	grid reference SO5086874594
Site information
Owner	The Earl of Powis and the Trustees of the Powis Estate
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Ruined
Site history
Built	1066–85
Built by	Walter de Lacy
Materials	Siltstone and red sandstone
Events	The Anarchy, the Second Barons' War, the Wars of the Roses, the English Civil War

Ludlow Castle is a ruined medieval fortification in the town of the same name in the English county of Shropshire, standing on a promontory overlooking the River Teme. The castle was probably founded by Walter de Lacy after the Norman conquest and was one of the first stone castles to be built in England. During the civil war of the 12th century the castle changed hands several times between the de Lacy's and rival claimants, and was further fortified with a Great Tower and a large outer bailey. In the mid-13th century, Ludlow was passed on to Geoffrey de Geneville who rebuilt part of the inner bailey, and the castle played a part in the Second Barons' War. Roger Mortimer acquired the castle in 1301, further extending the internal complex of buildings, and the Mortimer family went on to hold Ludlow for over a century.

Richard, the Duke of York, inherited the castle in 1425, and it became an important symbol of Yorkist authority during the Wars of the Roses. When Richard's son, Edward IV, seized the throne in 1461 it passed into the ownership of the Crown. Ludlow Castle was chosen as the seat of the Council in the Marches of Wales, effectively acting as the capital of Wales, and it was extensively renovated during throughout the 16th century. By the 17th century the castle was luxuriously appointed, hosting cultural events such as the first performance of John Milton's masque Comus. Ludlow Castle was held by the Royalists during the English Civil War of the 1640s, until it was besieged and taken by a Parliamentarian army in 1646. The contents of the castle were sold off and a garrison was retained there for much of the interregnum.