Wigmore has an overgrown appearance that once characterised many ruined sites.
When conserving the site in the 1990s, English Heritage deliberately retained its wildness, as the castle had become home to rare and unusual species including lesser horseshoe bats and wild flowers like ploughman's spikenard. Accumulated debris was allowed to remain, and the grasses, ferns and flowers growing on the walls were carefully lifted up and replaced as 'soft-capping' to protect the walls from rain and more destructive plants like trees.
The conservation works also included two archaeological excavations. These revealed that as well as the towers along the curtain wall, there were timber-framed buildings all along the inside of the inner bailey.
One corner of the great hall still survives and on the motte are the remains of the most important private chambers of the lord including a great tower.
The castle's ruined appearance does not reflect its grand past. The Mortimers were one of the most important families in England. Roger Mortimer (1328-1360), 2nd earl of March, was a founder member of the Knights of the Garter and his grandson the 4th earl, another Roger Mortimer (1374-98) was briefly heir presumptive to the English throne.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
