Hopton Castle

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Today is the last day of our short break here in Shropshire, and Jane & I decided to have a look at Hopton Castle, near Craven Arms. The last time any of our number visited the place, it was a fenced-off ruin in danger of imminent collapse; which, given its history, would have been an act of criminal neglect to allow. However, in the early 2000s, efforts were made to raise funds to start restoration and making the building safe, garnering over a million quid to start works which - at least the current tranche - took the project to the stage of a public opening in 2010; the following year seeing its official unveiling.

It's free to visit, but the Hopton Castle Preservation Trust is still raising money for maintenance, and hopefully further restoration and research into its past. Donations can be made in cash on visiting the site, or online at www.hoptoncastle.org.uk, where you can get the lowdown on the site's history and restoration. Projects like these really are a labour of love and respect for our history and heritage, and are well worth supporting in whatever way possible to maintain a tangible link with our ancestors and fix ourselves in the timeline of human development: it's good for the soul, folks...

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