Editing Ludlow (section)

===Medieval history===
[[File:Ludlow Castle from Whitcliffe, 2011.jpg|left|thumb|[[Ludlow Castle]], built in the late 11th century.]]
[[File:Magnificent stained glass window within St Laurence, Ludlow - geograph.org.uk - 1444523.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The [[stained glass window]] above the west door of St Laurence's displays the Lords of Ludlow Castle and most notably four key royals associated with Ludlow during/after the [[Wars of the Roses]]. The praying figures at the foot are (from left to right) [[Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York|Richard, Duke of York]], his son [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]] and his son [[Edward V of England|Edward V]] and grandson [[Arthur, Prince of Wales]].]]
At the time of the [[Domesday Book]] survey, the area was part of the large [[Stanton Lacy|Stanton]] parish and [[Manorialism|manor]], a possession of [[Walter de Lacy (died 1085)|Walter de Lacy]].<ref>[http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SO4978/stanton-lacy Open Domesday] Stanton Lacy</ref> Neither Ludlow nor Dinham are mentioned in the Book, compiled in 1086, although the Book recorded manors and not settlements ''per se''. The Book does record a great number of households and taxable value for Stanton, perhaps suggesting that any early settlement by the nascent castle was being counted. Neighbouring places Ludford, the Sheet and Steventon do feature in the Book, as they were manors, proving that they were well-established places by the Norman conquest.<ref>[http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SO5174/ludford Open Domesday] Ludford</ref> The manor of Stanton came within the [[hundred (county division)|hundred]] of [[Culvestan]], but during the reign of [[Henry I of England|Henry I]] this Saxon hundred was merged into the new [[Munslow (hundred)|Munslow]] hundred.<ref>{{cite web|first1=A. P.|last1= Baggs|first2= G. C.|last2= Baugh|first3=D. C.|last3= Cox|first4=Jessie|last4= McFall|first5=P. A.|last5= Stamper|title='Munslow Hundred', in A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 10, Munslow Hundred (Part), the Liberty and Borough of Wenlock, ed. G C Baugh |location=London|year=1998|pages=7–8|publisher=British History Online |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol10/pp7-8 |access-date= 30 October 2021}}</ref>

Walter's son [[Roger de Lacy]] began the construction of [[Ludlow Castle]] on the western [[promontory]] of the hill about 1075, forming what is now the inner [[Ward (fortification)|bailey]]. Between about 1090 and 1120, the Chapel of [[St. Mary Magdalene]] was built inside the walls, and by 1130 the Great Tower was added to form the [[gatehouse]]. About 1170 the larger outer bailey was added to the castle. (The town walls however were not built until the mid-13th century.) The settlement of Dinham grew up alongside the development of the early castle in the late 11th century, with the northern part of this early settlement disturbed by the building of the outer bailey.<ref name=origins>Lloyd, David (2008) ''The Origins of Ludlow'' pp 75-79</ref> Dinham had its own place of worship, the Chapel of St Thomas the Martyr, dedicated to [[Thomas Becket]] sometime in 1177–1189 when the present chapel replaced an older (late 11th-century) church building.<ref>[http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MSA360&resourceID=1015 Heritage Gateway]</ref>

During the 12th century, the planned town of Ludlow was formed, in stages, the town providing a useful source of income for successive [[Marcher Lords]], based on rents, fines, and tolls. They developed the town on a regular grid pattern, although this was adapted somewhat to match the local [[topography]], from the late 11th century through the 12th century. The first laid street was along the ridge of the hilltop, what is now Castle Square, High Street and King Street. This formed a wide market place (later in-filled by buildings in places) running from the castle gates east across to St Laurence's and the Bull Ring, itself located on the ancient north–south road, now called Corve Street to the north and Old Street to the south. The wide Mill and Broad Streets were added later, as part of a southern grid plan of streets and [[burgage plot]]s filling the area bounded by Dinham, the new High Street market, Old Street and the Teme to the south.<ref name=origins/> Originally, Old Street ran down to a [[ford (crossing)|ford]] which took the ancient route south across to [[Ludford, Shropshire|Ludford]]. A bridge was constructed (possibly by [[Josce de Dinan]]) at the foot of Broad Street, upstream of the ford, which then replaced the ford; its 15th-century replacement is the present-day [[Ludford Bridge]].<ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1281983|desc=Ludford Bridge |grade=I |accessdate=21 June 2017}}</ref>

[[St Laurence's Church, Ludlow|St Laurence's church]], whose origins are late 11th century, was rebuilt and enlarged (with a bell tower) in 1199-1200<ref name=origins/> and became a parish church, with the separation of Ludlow from the [[parish]] of Stanton Lacy by 1200. The town notably had two schools (a choir and a grammar) in existence {{Circa|1200}};<ref>Lloyd, David (2008) ''The Origins of Ludlow'' p 44</ref> [[Ludlow Grammar School]] remained in existence until 1977, when it became Ludlow College.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ludlow-college.ac.uk/news-article/50b5d95be215b/Students-rewarded-for-academic-success|title=Students rewarded for academic success|publisher=Ludlow College|access-date=30 October 2021}}</ref>

[[File:castle square ludlow.jpg|right|thumb|upright|The town's outdoor market, in Castle Square, photographed from St Laurence's Church]]
Ludlow Castle was an important border fortification along the [[Welsh Marches]], and one of the largest in the Norman/English ring of castles surrounding Wales. It played a significant role in local, regional and national conflicts such as the [[Owain Glyndŵr]] rebellion, the [[Wars of the Roses]] and the [[English Civil War]]. The castle and its adjoining town grew in political importance and in the 15th century the castle became the seat of the [[Council of Wales and the Marches]]. It was a temporary home to several holders of the title [[Prince of Wales]], including [[Edward V of England|King Edward V]] and [[Arthur Tudor]], who died there in 1502.<ref>{{cite book | title=Henry VIII | publisher=Oxford University Press | last=Ives | first=Eric | year=2007 | location=Oxford | isbn=978-0-19-921759-5|page=1 }}</ref>

The site features heavily in the folk-story of [[Fulk FitzWarin]], outlawed Lord of [[Whittington, Shropshire]] and a possible inspiration for the ''[[Robin Hood]]'' legend. Fulk is brought up in the castle of [[Josce de Dinan]], and fights for his master against Sir [[Gilbert de Lacy]] – these battles are the source of the story of Marion de la Bruyere, the betrayed lover whose ghost is still said to be heard screaming as she plummets from the castle's turrets.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2009/09/28/castle-ghost-part-of-25-year-study/  |title=Castle ghost part of 25-year study|date=28 September 2009|newspaper=Shropshire Star|access-date=29 October 2021}}</ref>

The first recorded royal permission to maintain defensive town walls was given to the "men of Ludlow" in the [[Patent Rolls]] of 1233. The entry is however incomplete and atypical and was not renewed in the usual way. A [[murage]] grant was next made in 1260 and renewed regularly over the next two centuries. This time the grant was made by name to [[Geoffrey de Genevile]], Lord of Ludlow. From this and other surviving documents it seems that the town walls and gates were in place by 1270.<ref name="train">{{cite book|last=Train|first=C. J.|title=The Walls and Gates of Ludlow, Their Origins and Early Days|publisher=Ludlow Historical Research Group|location=Ludlow|year=1999|series=New Series No. 1|pages=6–12|chapter=2|isbn=0-9536113-0-2}}</ref> They were constructed about the central part of the community with four main gates and three [[postern]] gates. Because the walls were constructed after the development of the town's streets, the positions and names of the four main gates are based on the streets they crossed; the postern gates on the other hand are located by and named after old outlying districts. The 7 gates are (clockwise from the castle; postern gates in ''italics'') ''Linney'', Corve, ''Galdeford'', Old, Broad, Mill and ''Dinham''. An eighth unnamed 'portal' gate (smaller than a postern gate) existed in the wall just to the northwest of the castle, now in the gardens of Castle Walk House.<ref>[http://search.shropshirehistory.org.uk/collections/getrecord/CCS_MSA1346/ Shropshire History] ..portal gate</ref> The town walls are largely still in existence, although a section alongside the churchyard of St Lawrence's is, as of 2015, in need of repairs.<ref>[http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2015/10/01/agreement-made-over-ludlows-historic-town-walls-repair/ Shropshire Star] ''Agreement made over Ludlow’s historic town walls repair'' (1 October 2015)</ref>

The castle complex continued to expand (a Great Hall, kitchen and living quarters were added) and it gained a reputation as a fortified [[palace]]. In 1306 it passed through marriage to the ambitious [[Earl of March]], [[Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March]]. [[Isabella of France|Queen Isabella]] and her son, the young [[Edward III of England|Edward III]], were entertained at the castle in 1329.<ref>{{cite book|last=Harding|first=David |chapter=The Mortimer Lordship|title=Ludlow Castle: Its History & Buildings |publisher=Logaston Press|location=Logaston, UK|year=2000|editor-last1=Shoesmith|editor-first1=Ron |editor-last2=Johnson |editor-first2=Andy|isbn=1-873827-51-2|pages=47–48}}</ref>