History Hawkstone Park

1 history

1.1 castle
1.2 manor house
1.3 hall

history
castle

hawkstone hall

red castle, first castle @ hawkstone park, built in 1227 henry de audley (alditheley), sheriff of shropshire , staffordshire. norman enclosure castle built of sandstone on natural outcrop of rock, flanked on sides wide valleys. castle has been known various names: red castle; rubree; radeclif, redcliffe, redde, castle rous, , hawkstone.

about same time (1227-1232) henry built heighley castle @ madeley, staffordsire, , made family caput. subsequent generations of audleys known as, lords of heleigh castle, , expanded there.

the red castle , became known, held family until 16th century main shropshire stronghold. repairs undertaken in 1283. in use in 1322, around 1400 seems no longer occupied. when leland visited castle in around 1540 described ruinous.

john tuchet, 4th baron audley (1371–1408) inherited title via sister, survived uprising of owain glyndŵr , battle of shrewsbury in 1403, fought against henry hotspur percy. son james tuchet, 5th baron audley (1398–1459) killed sir roger kynaston, whilst leading house of lancaster @ battle of blore heath in 1459.

the audleys forfeited title when james tuchet, 7th baron audley (c. 1463–1497) led rebellion against king henry vii of england in 1497 , executed. audley title restored john tuchet, 8th baron audley in 1512.

manor house

the hall stands on site of earlier manor house. manor purchased, soulton, sir rowland hill , thomas leigh thomas lodge in 1556, under long leases (until 1610) quiet enjoyment brother edward lodge.

eventually lands passed via sir andrew corbet of moreton corbet sir rowland hill, 1st baronet hill of hawkstone (1705–1783), lived nearby @ shelvock manor. great, great, great, grandson of sir rowland hill, first protestant lord mayor of city of london , member of parliament city of london in 1533, , had owned hawkstone , nearby soulton. manors of hawkstone , soulton sold in 1556 thomas lodge sir rowland hill , thomas leigh under long leases (until 1610) quiet enjoyment brother edward lodge.

hall

richard hill (1655–1727), great hill , traveller , diplomat, had made fortune lucrative arithmetick (sic), raised family aristocracy, , established existing hawkstone manor house family seat, started partial demolition of house in 1701 replacing hall, completing circa 1707.

sir rowland hill, 1st baronet (1705–1783), landscaped red castle , extended estate, walks on 4 natural hills , wide range of follies included hermit dispense wisdom visitors.

sir richard hill, 2nd baronet (1733–1808) took on over father’s death in 1783, published guide visitors , built hawkstone inn accommodate them. engaged landscape gardener william emes build vast manmade lake, hawk river , follies included ruined gothic architecture arch on grotto hill, urn, tribute english civil war ancestor, swiss bridge, , 100-foot (30 m) obelisk internal staircase, topped statue of original sir rowland hill. hawkstone park had become 1 of britain’s top attractions time died in 1808. maintained status under brother sir john hill, 3rd baronet (1740–1824).

the citadel

sir rowland hill, 4th baronet hill of hawkstone, 2nd viscount hill (1800–1875) inherited, spent , lost large fortune. created 2 new drives, 1 @ vast expense through rock cutting, , considered relocating hall across park. in 1824-5 built dower house known citadel in gothic revival style. extravagance , bad management caused descent mess inherited son in 1875.

rowland clegg-hill, 3rd viscount hill (1833–1895) bankrupt time of death in 1895, forcing sale of contents of hall , split of estate 1906.

the hall purchased george whitely, later baron marchamley of hawkstone, liberal whip. had extensive restoration , reconstruction done wm. tomkinson , sons of liverpool, managed h.p. dallow, included shortening in length , reducing in elevation, wings of house. chapel wing reconstructed games room dance floor, , other wing converted servants accommodation.

the hall , lake became religious retreat in 1920s, while hotel , large part of park later became golf course. during world war ii, parts of park used prisoner of war camp.

hawkstone park largely restored, , once again open public. protected grade historic park, rated english heritage.

dr. johnson visited , wrote of...

prospects, awfulness of shades, horrors of precipices, verdure of hollows , loftiness of rocks ... above inaccessible altitude, below horrible profundity. (1774).

erasmus darwin visited, , notes outcrops of copper-bearing rocks...

@ hawkstone in shropshire, seat of sir richard hill, there elevated rock of siliceous sand coloured green copper in many places high in air. (1783).




^ redcastle. gatehouse gazetteer http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/english%20sites/3173.html. retrieved 15 october 2017.  missing or empty |title= (help)
^ red castle: enclosure castle in hawkstone park . historic england. retrieved 15 october 2017. 
^ national archives, discovery catalogue piece description bargain , sale (1556) , 215/31 (shropshire archives).
^ national archives, discovery catalogue piece description bargain , sale (1556) , 215/31 (shropshire archives).
^ letters john hill brother, hon richard hill . discovering shropshire s history. retrieved 15 october 2017.