Visited August 2024

Location	Stafford
Entrance Fee	No
Railway Station Nearby	Stafford- 1.5 miles
Parking	Yes
Facilities	Visitor's Centre, Toilets
Map

A trip to Stafford Castle makes a lovely day out . It is set in woodlands, with the stone keep  up on a motte, and the associated earthworks still visible. There are some nature trails around the grounds, and also a history tour which is explained on info boards around the site. There is a Visitor Centre which has a small museum and a cafe, as well as a gift shop and toilets. 

Review

The castle was built after the Norman Conquest, as it was strategically important to be able to control the population of  Staffordshire, and to keep an eye on next door Shropshire, with its border areas with Wales. Originally built in wood, it wasn't rebuilt in stone until 1347, under the then Earl, Ralph de Stafford. The de Staffords had owned the castle for a long time, but had not done much for its upkeep. The new stone keep was constructed as a main hall with an octagonal tower in each corner, similar in design to Nunney Castle in Somerset. Today the remains of the towers are only one storey high, but they had originally been much higher, and had extensive cellaring underneath. 

The castle fell into disrepair after the execution for treason of its then owner Henry Stafford, the 2nd Duke of Buckingham. He had been an ally of Richard III but then conspired against him in favour of Henry Tudor, sealing his fate when Richard became aware of his treachery. Although his son was able to claim back his father's estate when Henry Tudor became king, the 3rd Duke of Buckingham suffered a similar fate to his father when he was executed by Henry VIII. All of his property, which in addition to Stafford included Thornbury Castle, Brecon Castle and Tonbridge Castle, was taken from the family once again. Stafford Castle wasn't in terribly good repair at this point, but there was a good deer park which contained 400 deer at the time of his death.

However, the castle's last hurrah was during the Civil War, where it was held by Royalist supporters, but was taken by the Parliamentarians in 1643 after a brief siege. It was then determined that the castle would be 'forthwith demolished', and then local farmers were brought to the site to plough the surrounding land for agricultural use.

The castle was restored again in 1783, when the ruins of the stone keep were rebuilt in a gothic style, and painted white. The grounds were transformed into a public park. It remained in a livable state, and indeed housed several caretakers, up until 1950, when the last inhabitants moved out due to the structure being declared unsafe.

The castle today remains in a public park, with woodlands at the base of the hill, and then the remains of the earthworks further up towards the keep. The keep itself is ruined;  the towers which were once several storeys high are now much reduced, but still make an impression. It is a good size for kids to play in, there were several children playing at the entrance asking 'friend or foe?' when we came in. There is a tunnel too, which is quite fun for them. 

It does not take hours to view the keep, but there are many walks and routes available  around the park, once you are done with the keep. There are also views from the top of the motte, especially of the earthworks and the remains of the two baileys associated with the castle. At the bottom of the slope is a large field which was once a village, but was later abandoned. This is an area used for dog- walking if you have a furry friend with you!

The museum has interesting artefacts and activities such as dressing up and, for a small fee, brass rubbing. There is also a cafe and toilets in the visitor centre. Outside of the visitor's centre there is a small medieval garden, with benches close by if you want to picnic. All in all it makes a lovely day out for kids, and best of all it is free to visit!

More info:  Stafford Castle