Monday, June 29, 2009

Stokesay Castle, Shropshire

Another gem from the British Pathe website is this film of Stokesay Castle from 1936, complete with a commentary from Mr Cholmondeley-Warner.

Except that, apart from the tasteful conversion of part of the gatehouse to include a teashop, Stokesay looks exactly the same today as it did 60 years ago.

As the English Heritage page for Stokesay says:
Stokesay Castle is quite simply the finest and best preserved fortified medieval manor house in England. Set in peaceful countryside near the Welsh border, the castle, timber-framed gatehouse and parish church form an unforgettably picturesque group.
You can find Stokesay Castle on the A49 in Shropshire, just south of Craven Arms.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loving the Brief Encounter-esque music and the reference to the "rain of 300 English winters - and summers!".

I was last in Stokesay one very temperamental Easter (more than 10 years ago) when, all of a sudden it started to snow heavily and great flurries came through the windows of the open Great Hall. magical. Alamst as magical as - and you will appreciate this - being 'stranded' in a pub in Bishop's Castle when the (still falling) snow brought down the electricity lines later that day. Candles ho!

Memories...

HE Elsom said...

Did Simon Armitage visit Stokesay in his wonderful programme about Gawain and the Green Knight? I think it's the place where Gawain had to kiss the lord.