TONG CASTLE

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A Castle, given a licence to crenellate in the 12th century, it was replaced circa1515 by a manor house. This was demolished circa1765 and replaced by a large house, this in turn has been recently demolished. The site has been excavated and five phases of occupation discovered from the 12th century. A 12th century cornmill was located. The area is now occupied by rubble and trees.

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[SJ 79160693] Tong Castle on Site of[T.I.] Castle [GT.] (1)

"Tong Castle is an old irregular edifice, built of stone, except the East wing, which being demolished in the civil wars was rebuilt with brick in the same style of building with the rest". (2)

Tong Castle was originally built in the time of Richard II, a licence to crenellate having been granted in the 5th year of his reign, but it was entirely rebuilt in the last[18th] century. (3)

George Durant bought the castle and manor of Tong in 1762. He demolished the castle built by Sir Henry Vernon in 1500, which was possibly the second castle on the site. [Refers to Eyton. See 5] (4)

Tong Castle was modernised in the 18th century, and all its early work hidden by a front of semi-moorish design, built by a member of the Durant family, who bought the estates in 1746. (5)

Tong Castle. Sir Henry Vernon, who died in 1515, was stated by Leland to have rebuilt".. an old castel of stone new at of brike..." The great brick Tudor house of the Vernons was replaced about 1765, with a Georgian-Gothic mansion. (6)

Notes on the ancient charters, etc. relating to the Manor of Tong. Domesday: Tuange.
[SJ 70 NE 2 for possible original site of Tong Castle] (7)

The site occupies a flat spur of land at the junction of two steep-sided valleys. No trace of former defensive works linking these valleys was noted.
The latest Tong Castle has been destroyed, and the entire area is occupied by rubble and young trees. (8)

Excavation of Tong Castle by Alan Wharton between May and October 1976 revealed evidence of occupation from the 12th century. (9)

Excavation continued during the winter of 1976-7 and the summer of 1977. Five periods of castle building have been established. The excavation continues. (10)

Further excavations, reported in interim form (11-5) have both clarified the S stage building sequence and provided additional structural information. The position of the 12th century corn mill has been located (13, siteNo. 5) and the 18th century Ice House has been excavated and reconstructed at the Avoncroft Museum of Buildings, Bromsgrove. (11-15)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1903.

( 2) The gentleman's magazine library

1763 Page(s)162

( 3) General reference

Dom.Archit.Eng. pt.2, 1859, p.366. (T.H. Turner)

( 4) Journal of the British Archaeological Association

(G.I. Tucker) 17 - 1861 Page(s)140-7

( 5) Archaeologia Cambrensis

(Rev. Prebendary Auden) 6 - 1906 Page(s)183

( 6) Country Life

(C.Hussey). Engraving of Buck's View, 1731. 100 Page(s)578-80

( 7) General reference

Ants. of Shropshire vol.2, 1855 pp.191-246. (R.W. Eyton)

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

F1 RWE 19-NOV-59

( 9) Council for British Archaeology Group 8: West Midlands Research Committees reports

(A Wharton) 19 - 1976 Page(s)55-9

(10) Council for British Archaeology Group 8: West Midlands Research Committees reports

(A Wharton) 20 - 1977 Page(s)73-78

(11) Council for British Archaeology Group 8: West Midlands Research Committees reports

(A Wharton) 21 - 1978 Page(s)84-89

(12) Council for British Archaeology Group 8: West Midlands Research Committees reports

(A Wharton) 22 - 1979 Page(s)66-75

(13) Shropshire Archaeological Society newsletter

(A Wharton) 14 - 1981 Page(s)12-17

(14) Shropshire Archaeological Society newsletter

(A Wharton) 15 - 1982 Page(s)11-12

(15) Shropshire Archaeological Society newsletter

(A Wharton) 18 - 1983 Page(s)3-4

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An outbuilding north of the The Old Post Office dating to the late 17th century with early 19th century alterations and additions.

CONVENT LODGE
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An entrance lodge dating to circa 1765, probably by 'Capability' Brown, with early 19th century alterations and additions.

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