Screen Wall and Towers defining the South Stable Yard at Chirk Castle

A visit to Chirk Castle near Wrexham, a National Trust property in Wales.

Chirk Castle (Welsh: Castell y Waun) is a Grade I listed castle located in Chirk, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It is now owned and run by the National Trust.

The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley. It was the administrative centre for the Marcher Lordship of Chirkland.

The castle was bought by Sir Thomas Myddelton in 1593 for £5,000 (approx. £11 million as of 2008). His son, Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle was a Parliamentarian during the English Civil War, but became a Royalist during the 'Cheshire rising' of 1659 led by George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer. Mullioned and transomed windows were inserted in the 16th and 17th centuries; the castle was partly demolished in the English Civil War and then rebuilt. Following the Restoration, his son became Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet of Chirke. The castle passed down in the Myddelton family to Charlotte Myddelton (on the death of her father in 1796). Charlotte had married Robert Biddulph, who changed his name to Robert Myddelton-Biddulph, leaving the castle on his death to their son Robert. It then passed down in the Myddelton-Biddulph family.

From before World War I until after World War II the castle was leased by Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, a prominent patron of the arts and champion of Welsh culture. In 1918 Chirk Castle was used as film location for Victory and Peace, directed by Herbert Brenon. The Baron opened up parts of the castle to evacuees during the later part of the Second World War. The Myddelton family returned to live at Chirk Castle until 2004. Lieutenant-Colonel Ririd Myddleton was an extra equerry to Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 until his death in 1988.

Chirk remained in the Myddelton family until it was transferred to the National Trust in 1981. The castle and gardens are open to the public between March and October, with limited opening dates in November and December. The castle is 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from Chirk railway station.

Grade II Listed Building

Screen Wall and Towers defining the S Stable Yard on the S side

History
The structure was built from 1852-3 by Edward W Pugin, architect, at the time of his renovation and refacing of the stable blocks.

Exterior
The screen begins at the W with a small circular turret with conical roof at the top of the ramp wall. The screen wall to the next turret has a high parapet with wide spaced crenels above a raised walk along the rea which provides access to the two intermediate small rectangular towers with hipped slate roofs. Beyond the second tower, the screen wall follows the line of a large semicircular bastion, returning to the line at the E end, where there is a terminal turret, the wall returning to the end of the stable block.

Reasons for Listing
Included as a strong element in the ensemble of buildings at Chirk, in which the Teutonic Gothic style favoured by E W Pugin provides an appropriate link between the austere fortress-like character of the original castle, and its romantic setting above the valley, in the context of C19 gothic sensibilities.

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Taken in: UK / Wales / Chirk (show map)

Taken on: October 24, 2023

Tags:

Chirk Castle

Chirk

Mid Wales

Wales

United Kingdom

Great Britain

National Trust

Roger Mortimer de Chirk

Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March

Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet of Chirke

tree

trees

Grade I Listed Building

Grade I Listed

Grade II Listed Building

Grade II Listed

Screen Wall and Towers defining the S Stable Yard on the S side

Edward W Pugin « less

Sets appears in: • The castle at Chirk Castle • Chirk Castle

Groups appears in: • Castles of Europe • Stately Homes, Palaces and Castles

Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ72, f/5.0, 1/80 sec, 19.6mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DMC-FZ72
Aperture:	f/5.0
Exposure Time:	0.013 sec (1/80)
Focal Length:	19.6mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Ver.1.0
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