Chirk Castle in northern Wales, on the border with England. Photo May 2000.
Chirk was built in the late 13th century as part of Edward I’s conquest of Wales and has been nearly continuously occupied since then. The castle passed through many important medieval families until ending up in the hands of Thomas Stanley at the beginning of the Tudor period. After his execution, the castle became property of the crown. In 1563 Elizabeth I granted the castle to her favorite, Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester. After his death, the castle was bought by Thomas Myddelton in 1595 and his descendants have lived in the castle ever since.
