View source for Chirk Castle

{{Short description|Castle in north-east Wales, built in 1295}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox building
| name                = Chirk Castle
| native_name         = {{lang|cy|Castell y Waun}}
| image               = ChirkCastle1.JPG
| caption             = Chirk Castle
| map_type            = Wales Wrexham
| map_caption         = Location within Wrexham
| architectural_style =
| building_type       = [[Castle]] / [[Stately home]]
| coordinates         = {{coord|52|56|06|N|3|05|23|W|display=inline,title}}
| location            = [[Chirk]], [[Wrexham County Borough]]
| completion_date     = 1295
| owner               = [[National Trust]]
| website             = https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle
| embedded            =
 {{Designation list
 | embed = yes
 | designation1 = Grade I
 | designation1_date = 20 October 1952
 | designation1_number = {{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=598|short=yes}}
 }}
}}

'''Chirk Castle''' ({{langx|cy|Castell y Waun}}) is a [[Grade I listed]] [[castle]] located in [[Chirk]], [[Wrexham County Borough]], [[Wales]],<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wa-598-chirk-castle-chirk| title= Chirk Castle, Chirk| publisher= British Listed buildings|access-date= 23 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=598|desc=Chirk Castle|grade= I|access-date=3 April 2019}}</ref>  {{convert|1.5|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Chirk railway station]], now owned and run by the [[National Trust]].

==History==
The castle was built in 1295 by [[Roger Mortimer de Chirk]], uncle of [[Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March]] as part of [[Edward I of England|Edward I's]] chain of fortresses across the north of [[Wales]], guarding the entrance to the [[Ceiriog Valley]]. It was the administrative centre for the [[Marcher Lords]]hip of [[Chirkland]]. It was run as a March castle by the Layards Edwardes of Chirk until removed by the [[Star Chamber]] when it was taken up by the [[Myddelton family]]. The Edwardes coat of arms is preserved in the castle. Edwardes became the Barony of Kensington.{{Clarify|date=January 2025|reason=What's the relevance?}}

The castle was bought by Sir [[Thomas Myddelton (Lord Mayor of London)|Thomas Myddelton]] in 1593 for £5,000 (approx. £18 million {{as of|2024|lc=y}}). His son, [[Thomas Myddelton (younger)|Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle]] was a [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian]] during the [[English Civil War]], but became a [[Cavalier|Royalist]] during the [[Booth's Uprising|'Cheshire rising']] of 1659 led by [[George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer]]. [[Mullion]]ed and [[Transom (architecture)|transomed]] windows were inserted in the 16th and 17th centuries; the castle was partly demolished in the English Civil War and then rebuilt.<ref name="Cadw/ICOMOS">{{citation|title=Register of Landscapes, Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. Part 1 Parks and Gardens: Clwyd|publisher=Cadw/ICOMOS|date=1995}}</ref> Following the [[English Restoration|Restoration]], his son became [[Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet]] of Chirke.<ref name="Castle Wales">{{cite web|title=Chirk Castle – Official Guidebook|url=http://www.castlewales.com/chirk.html|publisher=Castle Wales}}</ref> The castle passed down in the Myddelton family to Charlotte Myddelton (on the death of her father in 1796). Charlotte had married [[Robert Myddelton Biddulph (1761–1814)|Robert Biddulph]], who changed his name to Robert Myddelton-Biddulph, leaving the castle on his death to their son [[Robert Myddelton Biddulph (1805–1872)|Robert]]. It then passed down in the Myddelton-Biddulph family.

From before [[World War I]] until after [[World War II]] the castle was leased by [[Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden]], a prominent patron of the arts and champion of [[Culture of Wales|Welsh culture]]. In 1918 Chirk Castle was used as film location for ''[[Victory and Peace]]'', directed by [[Herbert Brenon]]. The baron opened up parts of the castle to evacuees during the later part of the Second World War.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/18/a3970118.shtml|title = BBC - WW2 People's War - an Evacuee in Chirk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/evacuees-who-were-made-kings-2911141|title=The evacuees who were made kings of our castles|date=26 June 2005}}</ref> The Myddelton family returned to live at Chirk Castle until 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/welshmans-home-not-castle-2932383|title=A Welshman's home is NOT his castle|date=24 March 2004}}</ref> [[Lieutenant-Colonel (UK)|Lieutenant-Colonel]] [[Ririd Myddleton]] was an extra [[equerry]] to Queen [[Elizabeth II]] from 1952 until his death in 1988.

Chirk remained in the Myddelton family until it was transferred to the [[National Trust]] in 1981;<ref>{{cite web|title=National Trust collections page: Chirk Castle|url=http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/place/chirk-castle|access-date=12 October 2020|language=en}}</ref> the castle and gardens are open to the public.<ref name="National Trust">{{cite web|title=Chirk Castle|url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle/|publisher=National Trust}}</ref>

==Landscape==
The property is notable for its gardens, with clipped yew hedges, herbaceous borders, rock gardens and terraces, and surrounded by 18th-century parkland.<ref name="National Trust"/>

This parkland was originally laid out as a [[Deer park (England)|deer park]] in the 14th century. From the early 17th century there were both formal and kitchen gardens adjacent to the castle, probably on the eastern side. The gardens continued to develop after the [[English Civil War]], including the construction of an outer courtyard to the north, surrounded by stone walls with a wrought-iron gateway. By 1719 the courtyard had been turfed over and the gates replaced by a magnificent set of wrought-iron gates and gate screen made by Robert and John Davies of Bersham.<ref>{{citation|last=Gallagher|first=Christopher|title=Chirk Castle: a Survey of the Landscape. National Trust|date=1996|publisher=National Trust}}</ref>

A panoramic view of the park by [[Thomas Badeslade]], published in 1742, shows the resulting grand baroque layout of formal gardens and avenues. This included formal gardens to the east of the castle, with a walled outer courtyard and kitchen gardens to the north.<ref>{{citation|last1=Grant|first1=Ian|last2=Foreman|first2=Penelope|last3=Logan|first3=William|title=Chirk Castle, Wrexham: Offa's Dyke, Northern Gardens and West building, Community Excavation 2019|issue=CPAT 1740|publisher=Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust}}</ref> Most of this layout was swept away by extensive landscaping in the 1760s and 70s, undertaken by [[William Emes]] on behalf of Richard Myddelton, including the construction of a [[ha-ha]] and the removal of the Davies gates to be re-erected at the New Hall entrance.<ref name="Cadw/ICOMOS"/> These works were largely responsible for the present-day appearance of the park.

A prominent feature of the park is the [[Earthworks (archaeology)|earthwork]] of [[Offa's Dyke]], which passes within 200 yards of the castle. This is shown on the Badeslade drawing, labelled as 'King Offa's Ditch', with the ornamental lake beyond.<ref>{{citation|last1=Grant|first1=Ian|last2=Foreman|first2=Penelope|last3=Logan|first3=William|title=Chirk Castle, Wrexham: Offa's Dyke, Northern Gardens and West building, Community Excavation 2019|issue=CPAT 1740|publisher=Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust}}</ref> The earthwork was partly submerged by the creation of the lake. In 2018 and 2018 the [[Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust]] excavated a section across Offa's Dyke here, and found substantial remains of the ditch and bank.<ref>{{citation|last=Belford|first=Paul|title=Enigmatic earthworks: excavating on Offa's and Wat's Dyke|journal=Current Archaeology|issue=358|date=January 2020}}</ref> The parkland landscape had partly been responsible for preserving the remains of the Dyke.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Belford|first=Paul|title=Hidden Earthworks: Excavation and Protection of Offa's and Wat's Dykes |journal=Offa's Dyke Journal |issue=1 |date=2019 |volume=1|page=80|doi=10.23914/odj.v1i0.251|url=http://revistas.jasarqueologia.es/index.php/odjournal/article/view/251 |language=en|doi-access=free}}</ref>

The [[Oak at the Gate of the Dead]] lies 300 yards from Chirk Castle, and marks the site of the 1165 [[Battle of Crogen]].<ref name=people>{{cite web|title=The Oak at the Gate of the Dead|url=https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/26063|website=People's Collection Wales|access-date=1 March 2018|language=en}}</ref>

The castle was used as a special stage in the [[2013 Wales Rally GB]].

The parks and gardens are listed as Grade I in the [[Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales]].<ref>{{NHAW|num=PGW(C)63(WRE)|desc=Chirk Castle|access-date=15 February 2023|uid=56|class=HPG}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
The north east prospect of Chirk Castle in Denbighshire on of the seats of John Myddelton Esqr.jpeg|The north east prospect of Chirk Castle, in [[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]], 1735
The_north_view_of_Chirck_i.e._Chirk_Castle,_in_the_county_of_Denbigh.jpeg|A north view of Chirk Castle, c. 1810
ChirkCastleOverview.JPG|Chirk Castle Approach
Chirk Castle gates.jpg|The castle gates
ChirkCastleEntrance.JPG|Main entrance
ChirkCastleCourtyard.JPG|Courtyard
ChirkCastleGarden.JPG|Garden alongside the castle
Chirk Castle from the North.jpg|''Chirk Castle from the North'', by [[Peter Tillemans]], 1725
The west prospect of Chirk Castle in Denbighshire, one of the seats of John Myddelton Esqr (1132147).jpg|The west prospect of Chirk Castle c. 1733–1747
Chirk Castle - Adam Tower.jpg|Adam Tower from the south-west
Chirk Castle courtyard and west range.jpg|The courtyard and turret clock from the east
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Castles in Great Britain and Ireland]]
*[[List of castles in Wales]]
*[[List of gardens in Wales]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Citation
|last=Mahler
|first=Margaret
|year=1912
|title=A History of Chirk Castle and Chirkland
|publisher=G. Bell and Sons
|publication-date=1912
|publication-place=London
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FM9MAAAAMAAJ
}}
*[https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle Chirk Castle information at the National Trust]
*[https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2767670 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Chirk Castle and surrounding area]
*[https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_sum_of_all_paintings/Collection/Chirk_Castle List of paintings on show at Chirk castle]

{{Edwardian castles in Wales}}
{{Wrexham}}

[[Category:Castles in Wrexham County Borough]]
[[Category:National Trust properties in Wales]]
[[Category:Gardens in Wales]]
[[Category:Historic house museums in Wales]]
[[Category:Museums in Wrexham County Borough]]
[[Category:Country houses in Wales]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Wrexham County Borough]]
[[Category:Rally GB]]
[[Category:Grade I listed castles]]
[[Category:Chirk]]
[[Category:Myddelton family]]
[[Category:Registered historic parks and gardens in Wrexham County Borough]]