Goodrich Castle

Goodrich Castle is a medieval castle dating back to the 12th century, with significant rebuilding in the early 14th century and later additions in the later 14th century. The core of the castle is a 12th-century keep, with the eastern curtain wall and foundations of the south-west tower dating to the 13th century. The castle is constructed of coursed and squared red sandstone rubble, with a grey sandstone keep. Ashlar dressings are also present.

The castle's layout is basically rectangular, enclosed by curtain walls with circular towers rising from spurred square bases at the south-east, south-west, and north-west corners. A gatehouse and a chapel tower are situated in the north-east corner, alongside an inner courtyard. Key features include a Norman keep to the south, a former great hall to the west, and a solar to the north. A chapel is located within the gatehouse complex, with traces of further domestic buildings to the east.

The towers were originally of three stages; the south-east tower shows traces of roll moulding below the lost parapet, and features embrasures and loop windows with square-headed surrounds. The curtain walls have remains of cruciform-shaped loop windows on the east wall, along with further embrasures. The three-stage gatehouse has a vaulted gateway with two portcullis grooves, a main archway with a segmental pointed head and rounded jambs. The chapel tower to the south of the gatehouse has a 15th-century window with three trefoil-headed lights to the east of the first floor and a similar window with a hoodmould to the west; further single-light trefoil-headed windows are also present, as well as loops lighting a slim octagonal stair tower in the north-west corner.

The keep has three stages, with pilaster buttresses and clasping buttresses, and a chevron-embellished string course at the second-floor level. Loops light a staircase in the north-west corner. The keep has two-light windows with semi-circular headed surrounds and hoodmoulds; engaged shafts are present at the responds with scalloped imposts. A window on the first floor of the east face may have originally been a doorway. A segmental-pointed doorway is located on the ground floor. The Great Hall features transomed trefoil-headed lights on the outer wall and a large fireplace with a corbelled hood.

The castle is moated to the south and east. Radford described it as an "extensive and remarkably complete border castle" and an "important example of Military Architecture.” The castle belonged to the Talbot family from the 14th century onwards, changed allegiances during the Civil War, and was besieged and taken in 1646. It has remained a ruin and is now under the guardianship of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.