Charlton House, Shrewsbury

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Town House

There are no visible remains

NameCharlton House, Shrewsbury
Alternative NamesCharlton Hall; Chorlton's Hall
Historic CountryShropshire
Modern AuthorityShropshire
1974 AuthorityShropshire
Civil ParishShrewsbury

Charlton Hall was the second stone mansion of Shrewsbury. Licence to embattle the hall was granted in 1325. A few fragments of masonry in the rear of the Theatre and the George Hotel are all that remain of the mansion which occupied almost the whole of the area bounded by St. John's Hill, Cross Hill, Swan Hill and Market Street. In a deed of 1470 it was described as "One Great Hall called Chorlton's Hall, one great chamber annexed to the Hall, and one great garden enclosed on either side with stone walls." In 1892 excavations for the Borough Police Offices, Swan Hill, revealed large blocks of red sand-stone, doubtless belonging to Charlton's Hall. (Forrest) At SJ 4902 1245 the footings of one of the walls of the George Hotel are of red sandstone. It is 11.0 m. long and varies in height from 0.8 m. to 1.5 m. At SJ 4900 1242 another portion of sandstone walling is incorporated in the wall of a garage. It is 9.0 m. long and varies in height from 2.0 to c.3.0 m. Both portions have been surveyed though neither could be assessed as part of an early dwelling (Field Investigators Comments–F1 JR 13-OCT-60). (PastScape)

Charlton Hall is cited as one of several high-status buildings in the southern central part of town that were more like large rural manor houses than town houses. Both Charlton Hall, and its neighbour, Vaughan's Mansion had substantial stone walls forming private enclosures around the residential buildings. (Baker et al 1990)

Gatehouse Comments

The 'great chamber' mentioned in 1470 deed may have actually been a solar tower.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSJ488123
Latitude52.7068481445313
Longitude-2.75624990463257
Eastings348800
Northings312300
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Moran, Madge, 2003, Vernacular Buildings of Shropshire (Logaston Press) p. 3, 5, 217-8, 251
  • Salter, Mike, 2001 (2edn), The Castles and Moated Mansions of Shropshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 75
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 2 East Anglia, Central England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 476
  • Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p. 55
  • Forrest, H.E.,1911, Old Houses of Shrewsbury p. 35 online copy
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 408 online copy
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 2 p. 306 online copy
  • Nightingale, J., 1813, Beauties of England and Wales Vol. 13 p. 153
  • Owen, H.,1808, Some Account of the Ancient and Present State of Shrewsbury p. 480-84

Journals

  • Davis, Philip, 2010-11, 'Crenellated town houses in Medieval England' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 24 p. 270-91
  • 1949-50, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 53 p. 259
  • 1905, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 5 p. 286

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1904, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward II (1324-27) Vol. 5 p. 178 online copy

Other

  • Baker, N.J, Buteux, S. and Hughes, E.G.,1990, 17 Market St Shrewsbury - An Archaeological Evaluation, p. 2-4