| Apley Castle | |
| Location: | Hadley, Shropshire, England |
| Map Type: | Shropshire |
| Coordinates: | 52.7152°N -2.5122°W |
| Map Size: | 200 |
| Type: | Fortified manor house |
| Condition: | Inhabited |
| Ownership: | Private |
Apley Castle was a medieval fortified manor in the village of Hadley, Shropshire, England.
Apley Castle was a moated, fortified manor house in Hadley near Wellington.[1] By the early 14th century the manor was owned by the Charlton family, who had become major landowners in the region, and in 1327 Sir Alan Charlton received a licence to crenellate the manor house.[2] The building work occurred shortly afterwards, producing a square building set around a central courtyard.[3] Charlton's descendants expanded the castle considerably into an Elizabethan mansion during the late 16th and early 17th century, using grey ashlar stone.[4]
Margaret Charlton, the religious non-conformist, was born here in 1636. She would be a supporter and later wife of Richard Baxter. In 1642 the castle passed by marriage to Thomas Hanmer, who married Margaret's mother (and very recent widow) Mary Charlton.[5] With the outbreak of the English Civil War that year between the supporters of King Charles and Parliament, Hanmer, a royalist, fortified the mansion, which formed a valuable strategic stronghold close to Shrewsbury.[6] Encouraged by Francis Charlton's younger brother, the castle was sacked by Parliamentary forces during the war: £1,500 of damage was done and the lead from the roof was stolen for use at Shrewsbury Castle.[7] Hanmer was taken prisoner and Mary Hanmer managed to recover both her children and the castle in order that her son Francis Charlton could become its heir.[5]
A second mansion, also called Apley Castle, was subsequently built between 1791 and 1794 for the Charltons, and the repaired first castle was reused as the stableblock for this building.[8] This building was demolished in 1955, and the stables fell into disrepair.[9] In 1996, the stables, including their medieval elements, were renovated and turned into a private house.[10] The site is a Grade 2* listed building.