Venue Type & Location
Overview
The Cornwalls' castle stood at the confluence of the River Teme and Ledwyche Brook near the meeting of Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire at Tenbury.
An early 18th c. brick house stands on the same site.
Performance History
A probable performance venue. Although contemporary household accounts for the Cornwall family do not survive, there is evidence that they patronized entertainers recorded elsewhere in Shropshire in the early 16th c. It is probable that they also performed at Burford for their patrons.
Current Status
History of the Venue
early 15th c. House built.
later 17th c. Burford abandoned in favour of Stapledon Castle.
ca. 1720 Estate sold by descendants of the Cornwall family to William Bowles, owner of Vauxhall Glassworks.
1728 Dilapidated castle demolished and replaced by a Georgian house. Descendants of the Bowles family and their Rushout relatives continued to own Burford House until the 20th c. although they were not always resident.
1931 Inherited by Francis Whitbread, daughter of the 4th Lord Sudeley.
1954 Later Victorian wings demolished. Some foundations of the earlier 15th c. house were discovered on the site of the W wing.
late 20th c. Acquired by John Treasure who developed the gardens now cared for by the Burford Garden Company.
Record Source
REED Shropshire 1.75, 172--5, 185, 187, 189, 192--3, 195--6
Patrons who owned this venue
| Name | Date | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Cornwall, Richard | 1502-1569 | Baron of Burford |
| Cornwall, Thomas | 1472-1537 | Baron of Burford |
| Cornwall, Thomas | 1472-1537 | Knight |
Bibliographic Sources
- Emery, Anthony. Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales 1300–1500. 3 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996--2006
- Hussey, Christopher. 'Burford, Shropshire.'. Country Life 102 (26 Dec. 1947): 1310--13.
- Pevsner, Nikolaus. Shropshire. Harmondsworth, Midd: Penguin Books, 1958
- Reid, Peter, ed. Burke's and Savill's Guide to Country Houses. 3 vols. London: Burke's Peerage, 1980