Scheduled MonumentsEnglandLudlow Castle

Ludlow Castle

England
List entry 1004778
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1004778
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
2.42 hectares
Grid reference
SO5087274595
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Ludlow Castle is a substantial medieval fortress founded in the late eleventh century by Norman lords, likely in the 1080s, commanding the River Teme valley in Shropshire. The castle comprises a large polygonal outer ward with a remarkable inner ward, at the centre of which stands a fine Norman round keep dating to the early twelfth century, alongside a chapel and domestic ranges of later medieval date. The fortification served as an important stronghold throughout the medieval period and subsequently became a residence of considerable status, notably serving as a seat of the Council in the Marches of Wales from the sixteenth century onwards. The castle survives as one of the most substantial and architecturally significant examples of Norman-period military architecture in the Welsh borderlands, with substantial portions of its masonry, walls, and internal structures remaining visible today.

Ludlow Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1004778. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Ludlow Castle?

Ludlow Castle is a substantial medieval fortress founded in the late eleventh century by Norman lords, likely in the 1080s, commanding the River Teme valley in Shropshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1004778.

Who is responsible for protecting Ludlow Castle?

Ludlow Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1004778.

What other scheduled monuments are near Ludlow Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Town walls (0.5 km), Ludford Bridge (0.6 km), Augustinian friary adjacent to the junction of Lower Galdeford and Weeping Cross Lane (0.8 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Ludlow Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Ludlow Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Ludlow Castle

Ludlow Castle stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.