Queen of the Castle

 

Some friends of Tam & Jon's went to this castle last weekend.  It is Clifford castle, which has quite a history. Ahah I thought, I have finally caught it open (instead of finding out afterwards I'd just missed it).  It's only open a few days a year, and the rest of the time you can only admire it from the lane.  Yesterday was the last day it was open until May.  Above is the entrance through the Garrison.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax romped over the walls and there were many wild flowers to be seen.  A real haven for wildlife, especially those plants who enjoy a limey environment.

This is the entrance to the Gatehouse, and you can see the rebate for the door and the slot for the portcullis.

I love the way that nature had reclaimed the castle (now that the ivy had been removed).  You can see how Wallflowers came to be named.

Inside Rosamund's Tower.

Looking across to the Black Mountains.

Common Vetch.

I sat and daydreamed inside one of the D-shaped towers.  It was so warm and sunny and I had to drag myself away.

A pretty little apple orchard  near Glasbury.  Note the huge balls of Mistletoe.

Dandelions and Ground Ivy.

The castle, as many did, held a strategic position beside a crossing point in the River Wye on the Welsh border - with Wales being on the other bank.  Back in the day, the motte was surrounded by a flooded area and a moat of 10m deep to the West.  There was probably a wooden castle here as remains of post holes were found on the motte.  In 1067 William fitzOsbern (Earl of Hereford) owned the site and the marcher earldom it belonged to.  His son Roger inherited on his death but rebelled in 1075, and lost it to his b-in-law, Ralph de Tosny.   It gets the name Clifford from 12th C inhabitants of the castle, who held it for the de Tosny's (Normans with lands in France).  Local landowner Walter Fitz Richard married into the family (Margaret)  and took the name of Clifford and their daughter Rosamund, a notable beauty (her name is thought to derive from the beautiful red and white striped rose, Rosamundi.)  About 1174 she was dangled for the delectation of King Henry II and he rose to the bait and took her as his mistress - the "Fair Rosamund" who was the love rival of his real wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.  So, Clifford is quite a romantic place and you can imagine my musings as I sat and basked in the sunshine.  

Their son Walter did well in life, playing an active role in Marcher politics, although that also included joining a major rebellion against Henry III in 1233 and in 1249 must have been the talk of the town when he defended his privileges as a marcher lord by forcing a royal messenger to EAT a letter from the king, complete with wax seal the size of a dinnerplate!  The male line ended with him and a certain John Giffard abducted Walter's daughter Matilda, and forced her to marry him around 1270.  The castle passed by a succession of marriages between marcher lords and heiresses until it reached the Mortimers.  Around the time of Owain Glyndwr it was still habitable, but fades out of history after that.

I was so pleased to have finally gotten to visit it and only regret that Keith and I didn't get there together.  The current owners have made a big commitment to its preservation and I have to say, it was a delightful visit - compared with how ivy clad it was in the past.