Remains of Oswestry Castle

The ruined remains of a C13 masonry castle atop a late-C11 motte, with late-C19 landscaping incorporating some medieval masonry.

MATERIALS: the collapsed masonry on top of the motte and the reconstructed bastion are of uncoursed limestone and conglomerate rubble. The late C19 revetment wall is of coursed sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: this listed asset comprises three groups of collapsed medieval masonry, the largest of which is approximately 6ft (1.8m) high. The ruins sit atop a partly manmade mound (the motte), which was raised in the late C11. The base of the mound is surrounded by a revetment wall of grey sandstone, which is taller to the south and east.

The south-facing section of the revetment wall incorporates two grey sandstone piers with carved capitals and round-arched niches to their south face, taken from a demolished town gate. These piers flank a gate access via a flight of stone steps with a crenelated wall. The piers carry a pair of C21 metal plaques recording a brief history of the castle and its restoration by English Heritage and Oswestry Town Council. The crenelated wall to the flight of steps carries two late-C19 metal plaques recording the castle’s opening to the public on 24 June 1890.

The revetment wall, parts of the pedestrian walkway round the mound, and the top of the mound itself, have spearhead iron railings of the late C20. Part of the footpath round the mound also has an iron handrail probably of the late C19. The gate between the stone piers is of a matching design to the late-C20 railings