History – over 3000 years of occupation
At the heart of our 12-acre stands the remains of a 12th century Marcher Norman Castle and gatehouse.  Once the chief residence of the powerful Fitzwarine (there are various spellings) family the Castle is associated with much folklore and legend.  Some say that the Holy Grail was once hidden here and that one of the many Fulk Fitzwarine’s was the real-life Robin Hood.

 Pre C12th
There is evidence of pre-historic settlement on the Castle site.

C12th to C15th
The first mention of a castle at Whittington was in 1138 when the Castle was fortified against Stephen. In 1173 Henry II granted aid to Roger de Powys for Castle repairs.
In 1204 King John granted the Castle to the Fitzwarines and they held the lordship until the death of the 11th Lord in 1420. The Fitzwarines had substantial estates throughout England and owned a castle at Alberbury, 17km south of Whittington Castle.

C17th
In 1638 the Castle and lordship were acquired the Lloyd family of Aston Hall, situated 4km south of Whittington. The Castle and land remain in their ownership.
1643 saw the Castle attacked by the Parliamentarians during the Civil War. No restoration work was undertaken after this destruction and the inner bailey has been uninhabited ever since.

C18th to the present day
In 1760 one of the eastern towers of the inner bailey collapsed after a severe frost and some years later one of the northern towers and the western wall were demolished for road repairs.
After a period of some decay, earth and vegetation covering the inner bailey were cleared in the late 1960s. The northern outer gatehouse and other parts of the structure were repointed at the instigation of the then Department of the Environment in 1973.