Venue Type & Location
Overview
Located 5 miles SE from Oswestry on the Welsh border, the castle consisted of a rectangular motte with a U-shaped bailey to the E. The fortification was strengthened by 2 streams running at the E and W base of the escarpment on which it was sited.
Performance History
A probable performance venue. No family records from the period survive but entertainers under the patronage of John, 6th Lord Strange of Knockin, are recorded at Shrewsbury in 1388--9. They may also have performed at their patron's residence.
Current Status
History of the Venue
1154--60 Probably built by Guy le Strange.
early 13th c. Demolished during the reign of King John.
1223 John le Strange granted aid to repair and rebuild.
ca.1482 Sir George Stanley, son of Thomas, 10th Earl of Derby acquires Knockin via marriage to Joan, daughter and heir of John, 8th Baron Strange.
ca.1540 Leland reported the castle as ruinous.
Record Source
REED Shropshire 1.127
Patrons who owned this venue
| Name | Date | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Lestrange, John | 1352-1397 | Baron Strange (of Knokyn) |
Bibliographic Sources
- Darwin Country.
- Jackson, Michael. Castles of Shropshire. Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries, 1988
- Mackenzie, James D. The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure. 2 vols. New York: The Macmillan Co., 1896
- Page, William, A.T. Gaydon and G.C. Baugh, eds. The Victoria History of the County of Shropshire. 11 vols. London: Archibald Constable, U of London, 1908--98
- Pevsner, Nikolaus. Shropshire. Harmondsworth, Midd: Penguin Books, 1958
- Somerset Fry, Plantagenet. Castles of the British Isles. New York: Dorset P, 1990