Along the Moors - Apley

Apley Mark III

The third and final incarnation of Apley Castle was constructed between 1792 and 1794, to a plan drawn-up by JH Haycock of Shrewsbury, the architect who was also responsible for designing the county town’s Infirmary and Shirehall. The imposing 16-bedroom Georgian mansion, replete with classical columns and pediment, was completed at a cost of just over four and half thousand pounds and incorporated a large lake at the west front that had initially been excavated to provide the clay from which its bricks were made. Seemingly, Apley was not considered quite grand enough for later generations of the Charlton family and in 1856 Captain St John Chiverton Charlton made extensive alterations: adding a new French Gothic style east front to the house, turning the former entrance into a formal garden and extending the wooded parkland around the property.

After centuries of constant upheaval, Apley then enjoyed a brief period of respite before a series of events unfolded that culminated in destruction on a scale never before witnessed within its boundaries. The final chapter in Apley’s chequered history began in 1953, when the estate passed to WTC Meyrick, a descendant of the Charlton’s by marriage, who was still a minor at the time. Upon reaching the age of 21, Meyrick, who reportedly had no interest in living at Apley, decided to dispose of the house and its contents, which were auctioned off in November 1955 by Barbers of Wellington; in a sale that included: 15000 square feet of flooring, 3000 blue Welsh slates and even the portico adorning the west front of the building itself! Worse was to follow, however, and, after the fixtures and fittings had been removed, Apley Castle was bulldozed into its cellars early the following year.