Shirburn Castle

Shirburn Castle stands beside a moat in the Oxfordshire village of Shirburn. Built in the fourteenth century, it was later reshaped in the Georgian style by Thomas Parker, the first Earl of Macclesfield. The Macclesfield family lived there until 2004 and still own the castle today. A licence to crenellate was granted in 1377, leading to the present quadrangular building with four rounded towers. The castle’s exterior once wore a Georgian brick casing over its original limestone. The castle is worth the journey for its layered history and surviving features. A 1559 account records rooms such as the great chamber, kitchen larder and brew-house. During the Civil War it was surrendered without damage in 1646. In the late seventeenth century the Gage family added an armoury with suits of armour and weapons marked for their household militia. The castle’s interiors were remodelled again in the early nineteenth century while remaining a family home. Visitors can see the moated castle and parts of its interior on film and television sets. The quadrangular plan and corner towers still define its outline. Remains of the Georgian brick casing cling to the older limestone walls in places. Inside, glimpses of the former armoury survive in illustrations. The setting beside Shirburn’s quiet lanes offers a view of a family seat that has stood for more than six centuries.