Chirk is a Grade I listed castle near Wrexham in North Wales, now in the care of the National Trust. I was fortunate with the weather on my first two visits, but it was too overcast for good pictures in 2023.
The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, as part of King Edward I's chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It lies near the ancient Offa's Dyke, built in the late 8th century as a marker between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys. The structure is named after Offa, king of Mercia from AD 757 until 796. At the time of Edward I, Chirk was a centre of Chirkland, one of the Marcher Lordships, which were areas given to barons to protect the Welsh Marches. A march was the name given to a border area.
Three hundred years after construction, the castle was bought by Sir Thomas Myddleton (1550 – 12 August 1631), a Welsh merchant who was Lord Mayor of London before becoming a Member of Parliament. His son, Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle was a Parliamentarian during the English Civil War, but became a Royalist during the 'Cheshire rising' of 1659 led by George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer. The castle was partly demolished in the English Civil War and then rebuilt. Following the Restoration of the Monarchy with the accession of Charles II in 1660, Thomas Myddlelton's son became Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet of Chirke. The castle passed down in the Myddelton family to Charlotte Myddelton who inherited in 1796. She had married Robert Biddulph, who changed his name to Robert Myddelton-Biddulph. The castle then passed down in the Myddelton-Biddulph family. From before the First World War, the castle was leased for a time to to Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden. The Myddelton family returned after the Second World War and lived there until 2004 but the castle was transferred to the National Trust in 1981.
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| View showing impressive topiary. July 2013 |
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| View from further to the left of above picture. July 2013 |
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| Side overlooking gardens. July 2013 |
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| View looking back at the top of the rise from the car park. Aug 2011 |
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| View inside the courtyard. Aug 2011 |
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| Corner tower. July 2013 | Tower. July 2013 | |
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| Tower adjacent to mullion windows. July 2013 | Clock in the courtyard. July 2013 | |
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| View showing entrance to courtyard. Aug 2011 | Tower at the top of the ascent from car park. Aug 2011 |
1.0 Strict 