Shotwick Castle

Shotwick Castle stands in a quiet corner of North West England, near the village of Saughall in Cheshire. It is a Norman earthwork fortification built on a promontory where two streams once met the River Dee. The castle began as an earthen hexagonal motte with a surrounding bailey and deep defensive ditches. These ditches were wide enough to flood at high tide, making the site hard to approach. Its main role was to guard a tidal ford used to cross the river into Wales. The castle was started by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, around 1093. Later, Ranulf de Blondeville paid for its upkeep in the 12th and early 13th centuries. Kings Henry II and Henry III stayed there while campaigning against the Welsh. Edward I visited in 1284 after finishing his Welsh campaign. By the 14th century the castle had become a hunting lodge for Edward III, with gardens and ponds added. By 1353 it was no longer garrisoned and was called a manor rather than a castle. Today only earthworks remain above ground, showing the shape of the motte and bailey. A 19th-century excavation found glazed pottery, a spur and deer horns. A 1990s survey showed that the site later became a country house with ornamental gardens. The remains sit within Shotwick Park, a peaceful green space near the river. Visitors can walk the old ditches and imagine the castle’s past as a stronghold and royal retreat.