Bridgnorth Castle

Bridgnorth Castle stands on a steep sandstone ridge above the River Severn in the Shropshire town of Bridgnorth. Built in 1101 by Robert de Belleme, it replaced an earlier Saxon fort built by Æthelflæd in 912. The castle’s outer walls date from 1105–1113, while its square great tower was added in 1160 under Henry II. A barbican with a drawbridge was constructed in 1212, and the outer bailey was formally incorporated into the town in 1242. By the 15th century the castle had fallen into disuse, though parts were repaired around 1530. The castle played a key role during the Civil War when Royalist forces held it for the king. After a three-week siege in 1646, Cromwell ordered its demolition, leaving only fragments. Engineers dug Lavington’s Hole, a 21-metre tunnel meant to destroy the castle’s gunpowder stores. The ruins were later used as a source of stone for rebuilding Bridgnorth. Today the leaning great tower tilts at 15 degrees, four times the lean of Pisa’s tower. Visitors find the surviving great tower and fragments of the barbican among the town’s streets. The castle grounds include the town war memorial topped by Adrian Jones’s infantryman statue. Archaeologists from Time Team uncovered parts of the layout in 2001. Moss once covered the ruins, but after 1956 the vegetation was cleared to reveal the stonework. The site offers views over the Severn valley and a quiet reminder of Bridgnorth’s medieval past.