The More children and their mother lived at Larden Hall (in Shipton, near Much Wenlock, Shropshire), a 16th century timber-framed house with a 1607 stone extension and further extensions in Victorian times. It was demolished in 1969 and replaced with a brick-built house. Katharine More’s husband, cousin Samuel, came from Linley Hall, near Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire. Linley was also a timber-framed house but was remodelled in the Palladian style in 1743 -8. We haven’t yet found a print of the original building.
The More children were removed from the privileged home of minor gentry at Larden and sent for a temporary stay with tenants of the Mores of Linley before being subjected to the crowded, uncomfortable and insanitary conditions on the cargo ship, Mayflower, where three of them died (along with half of the other passengers). The one survivor of the four children was six-year-old Richard who then had to adjust to life in a small log cabin in another continent. The contrasts couldn’t have been much greater for Richard: a large timber-framed and stone-built country house with servants in Shropshire versus a small, timber-built cabin in America with the Brewster family and their two children.
The More children’s story reminds us of the existence of many interesting historic buildings, particularly in the south of Shropshire where the land was better than the north of Wenlock Edge for farming. Oak trees and building stone were readily available and families who were doing well from their lands or from their jobs as lawyers, sought to build exemplar houses. Simon Jenkins’ famous book, “England’s Thousand Best Houses” lists 26 notable country houses in Shropshire. The majority of these are in the south of the county.
- Acton Burnell (north-east of Church Stretton): 13th century fortified castle with a nearby house, now a school, much changed over many years.
- Benthall Hall (near Broseley): an Elizabethan house on a relatively small site with Catholic connections; now owned by the National Trust nationaltrust.org.uk
- Boscobell House (north of Albrighton): where Charles 11 famously hid in an oak tree in the grounds of the Royalist Penderel family in 1651; originally timber-framed but remodelled in 1812 with some 17th century remainders. Now in the care of English Heritage. www.englishheritage.org.uk
- Clun: Trinity Hospital: a quadrangle of almshouses built for poor shepherds in 1618.
Phone 01588 672303 for opening times - Detton Hall (north of Cleobury Mortimer): dates from 14th century; much amended and restored Phone 01299 271832 for opening times
- Dudmaston (south-east of Bridgnorth): 17 – 18th century; now in the hands of the National Trust. www.nationaltrust.org.uk
- Rosehill House (Ironbridge): home of the iron-master, Abraham Derby, built in 1738; now owned by the Ironbridge Trust. www.ironbridge.org.uk
- Ludlow:
- the Castle; built in 1086 to keep the Welsh at bay; then the headquarters of the Council of the Marches; now owned by the Earls of Powis.
ludlowcastle.com - Castle Lodge: possibly built by the Palmers’ Guild and at times a school and a hotel; famous for its Elizabethan panelling in most rooms.
Recently sold. No contact information. - Dinham House: Georgian with five bays, now a showroom for wood-burning stoves.
- Phone 01584 878100
- Feathers Hotel: black and white timber, rebuilt by its lawyer owner in 1619 with jetties overhanging the street and a richly carved façade; now a hotel and under new ownership.
- headoffice@feathersludlow.co.uk
- the Castle; built in 1086 to keep the Welsh at bay; then the headquarters of the Council of the Marches; now owned by the Earls of Powis.
- Mawley Hall (south-east of cleobury Mortimer): early Georgian, built in 1728 with plasterwork, carpentry and marquetry of note.
Occasional open days. www.mawley.com - Morville Hall (south of Much Wenlock): Elizabethan house with a Georgian façade and a famous garden, now owned by the National Trust
nationaltrust.org.uk - Shipton Hall (Shipton, near Much Wenlock): stone-built manor house of 1587; owned by the Shropshire Mytton family when a daughter was locked in her room to prevent her marriage. Her pitiful note etched on a window in 1792 remains on view.
Open occasionally for group bookings. - Stokesay Castle (between Craven Arms and Ludlow on the A49): a fortified manor house, built in 1281; a superb 1640s gatehouse; all carefully restored and in the ownership of English Heritage.
englishheritage.org.uk - Upton Cressett Hall (west of Bridgnorth): the Cressett family owned this manor from Conquest times; an Elizabethan gatehouse and 14th and 16th century features in the main house, plus impressive chimneys; when Samuel More was captured and then paroled, he was offered freedom in exchange for the Royalist prisoner, Edward Cressett. Samuel was sent to live at Cressett Hall where he was required to stay until Edward Cressett was released by his captors.
Occasionally open to visitors. - Wallcott Hall (south-east of Bishop’s Castle): this was Clive of India’s country villa, built in 1763 in what Jenkins describes as a “wild spot.”
Mostly used as a wedding venue. No visitor details on website. - Wilderhope Manor (mid-way between Much Wenlock and Church Stretton): begun in about 1584 by the Smallmans with four gabled wings, rescued from dereliction by the Cadbury family who bought it in 1934 and donated it to the National Trust who, in turn, handed its running to the Youth Hostels Association. A civil war scene here was the escape of Major Smallman from the Parliamentarian army by sliding down the garderobe shute, galloping off on his horse and leaping off Wenlock Edge. This spot is now called “Major’s Leap.” (A garderobe was helpful when the Royalists retook Hopton Castle!)
nationaltrust.org.uk
Simon Jenkins’ book does not mention some other sites worthy of visits:
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- The Iron Bridge (on the edge of Telford): the first bridge built of cast iron in the world (1781), recently refurbished in its original red paint.
ironbridge.org.uk - The Flaxmill Maltings (Shrewsbury): the first steel-framed building in the world (1797) and forerunner of all skyscrapers, recently refurbished.
flaxmill-maltings.co.uk - St James’ Church (Shipton): a Norman chancel arch; a chancel rebuilt in 1589; mediaeval tiles in the nave; a font in which the More children were baptised and a plaque presented by the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants commemorating the More children. Open at all times
- St Michael’s Church (Munslow): Norman with 13th and 14th century modifications and striking stained glass windows:
- The Iron Bridge (on the edge of Telford): the first bridge built of cast iron in the world (1781), recently refurbished in its original red paint.
- The White House (Aston Munslow): the timber-framed half dates from the 14th century with modifications in the 18th Now a holiday let run by the Landmark Trust with occasional open days.
www.landmarktrust.org.uk - Millichope Park (Munslow): a 19th century house (much admired by Pevsner) set in spacious grounds that are often open under the National Gardens Scheme. The earlier house was probably from 16th century and had been built by a branch of the More family.
ngs.org.uk
Sources:
Simon Jenkins: “England’s Thousand Best Houses”
Nikolas Pevsner & John Newman: “The Buildings of England: Shropshire”
Julia Ionides & Peter Howells: “The Old Houses of Shropshire in the 19th Century”