04/09/2019 - Permalink

Laura’s Tower to be opened at Shrewsbury Castle for heritage celebration

Related topics: Community / Corporate / Leisure, culture and heritage

On Sunday 15 September 2019 only, a rare occurrence will take place at Shrewsbury Castle… the opening of Laura’s Tower.

Laura’s Tower is opened to the public just one day a year in celebration of the Heritage Open Day festival.

An image of Laura's Tower at Shrewsbury Castle. Laura's Tower is open to the public for heritage open days.

Laura’s Tower was built by the famous Thomas Telford in c.1790 for the daughter of Sir William Pulteney MP for her 21st birthday as a summer house, and has been a grade II listed building since 1972.

The castle grounds will be free to enter as usual and the Regimental Museum which sits within the castle itself, will also be free to visit.

The Mercenaries of Mercia battle re-enactment group will also be at the castle on the day of the opening of Laura’s Tower.

Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council Cabinet member for culture, leisure, communications and waste, said:

“Shrewsbury Castle is one of the best preserved Conquest-period earthwork castles in the UK and we are just starting to learn more about it following the recent completion of the first ever excavation so it’s a very exciting time to visit.

“Add to this the rare opening of Laura’s Tower – it’s open for one day a year – then Shrewsbury Castle offers a brilliant historic site to visit. I would encourage anybody to visit this magnificent castle and learn more about Shrewsbury’s heritage and experience the unique views from Laura’s Tower.”

Shrewsbury Castle will be open from 10.30am to 4pm.

Shrewsbury Castle

Shrewsbury Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) and is one of the oldest SAMs in the country. It is also a Grade 1 listed building and was first listed by Historic England in 1953.

The Castle is one of the best-preserved, Conquest-period earthwork castles in England, but is also one of the least well-known. It is unusually well preserved because it escaped rebuilding.

The first ever excavation of the castle has recently been completed during which two military arrowheads dating to Medieval England and the original Norman motte ditch were discovered proving beyond all doubt the castle’s military history. For more information about this, click here or visit YouTube.

You can see more information about Shrewsbury Castle here.