Stokesay Castle

John Taylor Arms

John Taylor Arms depicts the south tower of Stokesay Castle in Shropshire, England, built in the late 13th century by wool merchant Laurence of Ludlow. The unusual structure, designed in a militaristic style complete with a moat, is not a true castle nor a true fort, with its main tower facing away from the road and decorative windows that reach the ground, offering little protection. It is that, as there was a newfound peace between England and Wales, the wealthy English merchant wanted to build near the border dividing the two, using elements of Wales’ own fortified castles in a gesture of respect. As such, the style of the medieval manor house, or “castellated mansion”, is thought to emulate the Caernarfon Castle gatehouses of North Wales.

Here, Arms shows the medieval south corner of the mansion. The north corner was renovated in the Tudor style in the 17th century, which Arms has left out of the image in order to study the stone work and windows. Stokesay Castle continues to be a source of intrigue to visitors, and it remains open for public viewing for a fee by the English Heritage organization.