Soulton Hall

06/03/2026

The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in Greece stands as a masterpiece of classical architecture and acoustics. Built in the 4th century BC, this remarkably preserved structure could seat approximately 14,000 spectators. Its design is celebrated for near-perfect acoustics, where even a whisper from the central orchestra can be heard clearly in the highest rows. Originally part of the sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine, the theatre hosted performances intended for both entertainment and healing. Today, it remains a vibrant cultural venue, hosting performances during the annual Athens and Epidaurus Festival. This enduring monument is a profound testament to the sophistication of ancient Greek engineering and artistic expression.

06/03/2026

The recent publication of the Historic Houses report, "A Fragile Inheritance," provides a moment to reflect on what it actually means to look after a site of national significance.

It is often assumed that sites like Soulton receive government funding or state grants.

In reality, Soulton Hall receives no state help.

The work we do—from funding academic research and hosting arts programming to the preservation of items with deep historical meaning—is a service we provide on behalf of the nation.

We are proud to facilitate public access to these treasures, but that effort is funded entirely through our own work and the support of our guests.

At its heart, however, Soulton is not a public institution; it is a home.

While we are dedicated to its role in the "Commonweal," much of the care we give this place is rooted in the quiet, daily reality of living here. We look after these walls and woods because they are the fabric of our own lives. By maintaining Soulton as a lived-in space, we ensure it remains a vibrant sanctuary rather than a static relic—a continuity that connects our own family's history with the wider story of England.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who chooses to join us. When you stay, tour, or attend a performance, you are supporting a living project that balances public history with a very personal sense of place.

Your presence and support is what allows this to remain a treasure for the future, of which we can all say, as Shakespeare did:

"I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it."

Read our full reflections on the report on our blog:

05/03/2026

Happy .

05/03/2026

Soulton Hall Heritage Reaches Parliament

The investigation into the historical significance of Soulton Hall has reached the official record of the House of Commons.

On 3 March 2026, Helen Morgan MP (North Shropshire) tabled a series of written questions to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This follows the entry of the inquiry’s statement of significance into the democratic record of Shropshire Council earlier this month.

The inquiries submitted to the Secretary of State include:

"To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the national heritage significance of the Byrga Geniht studies identifying Soulton Hall as the likely place of reburial for Erkenwald and the location of the High Altar stone of Old St Paul’s." (UIN 117447)

A second question addresses the broader social impact of these findings:

"To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department provides for faith interface and reconciliation work carried out following cultural discoveries." (UIN 117449)

A third question focuses on the responsibilities of managing national assets:

"To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support private stewards who manage significant national patrimony in private hands." (UIN 117448)

The final question links the site to a wider national heritage strategy:

"To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential for Shropshire’s 2026–2029 Destination Management Plan and the inter-county partnership between Shropshire and Essex to lead to a national renewal of the ‘Grand Tour of England’." (UIN 117450)

Key Outputs of the Inquiry:

The inquiry, supported by the Byrga Geniht studies, has produced several findings regarding the 16th-century stewardship of the site:

High Altar Stone of Old St Paul’s: The investigation identifies Soulton Hall as the preservation site for the High Altar stone of the medieval cathedral, secured in the 1550s.

The Erkenwald Preservation: The research identifies the likely location for the reburial of Erkenwald within the Soulton precinct, supported by an archaeological footprint consistent with 16th-century memorialization.

National Patrimony & Stewardship: The inquiry positions Soulton Hall as a sophisticated, purpose-built repository intended to safeguard the "spiritual heart" of London during a period of extreme cultural volatility.

From Local Audit to National Assessment

Moving these findings from a heritage audit to a formal Parliamentary inquiry changes the status of the research. By placing these matters on the formal record, the inquiry ensures that the historical and architectural code of Soulton Hall—and its ties to Sir Rowland Hill—is acknowledged as a matter of public and democratic fact.

04/03/2026

Visited Court of Hill today—the ancestral homeland of the Hill dynasty before the 15th century took them also to North Shropshire. 🏰

​While Soulton Hall later became a complex center for Sir Rowland Hill’s projects, Court of Hill remains a beautiful preservation of an origin under Clee Hill nearly 1000 years ago.

04/03/2026

A recent visit to Brockhampton offered a striking perspective on the shared origins we hold here at Soulton Hall. At first glance, the kinship is undeniable; both sites began as timber-framed manor houses, nestled within protective moats and deeply tied to the rhythms of the land.
​Walking through the rare 1530s gatehouse at Brockhampton, one can see the architectural blueprint that would have been intimately familiar to the early residents of Soulton. These were homes built from the surrounding landscape, designed for local stewardship and a life rooted in the local environment.

​The comparison also highlights the unique evolution of Soulton. While Brockhampton remains a remarkably preserved window into that older world, Soulton was pulled in a more ambitious direction.

​Under the influence of Sir Rowland Hill, the site was transformed. It moved away from the traditional baseline of a manor house toward a complex architectural and intellectual vision, pushing the boundaries of sixteenth-century thought and design.

​It is compelling to see two places start with the same structural manual but grow into such different stories. Brockhampton is the classic survival, preserving the elegance of the past. In contrast, Soulton represents a leap forward—a project that took those shared roots and branched off into a unique, forward-thinking destiny.
​Visiting our neighbors in Herefordshire reminds us that while history often starts from the same foundations, the vision of those who build upon it steers each place toward its own future.

03/03/2026

03/03/2026

We’re incredibly grateful for Bishop Michael’s guidance and ministry.

He has, over the last several years, helped the Ashton family navigate the complex history of the Erkenwald and other 1550s questions in the story of Soulton Hall.

Thank you for your dedication!

02/03/2026

Shrewsbury Town is officially bidding for UK Town of Culture 2028, as reported in the Shropshire Star.

At Soulton Hall, we see this not as a new pursuit, but as a long-awaited "return to ourselves."
​Shropshire has always been a sophisticated cultural hub where the arts were pioneered in the town and refined in the country.

This area's "Performance DNA" is written into the very geography of the world’s greatest plays.

​The Shakespearean District: A Lived Reality
​We aren't reaching for distant connections; we are reclaiming a landscape Shakespeare knew intimately through kin and country:

​As You Like It: The spirit of the forest and the courtly exile is fueled by the atmosphere of Soulton and the surrounding estates.
​The Royal Histories: From the pivotal battles of Henry IV, Part 1 to the dramatic arcs of Richard II and Richard III, the pulse of our riverbanks and fields beats through these narratives.
​Romeo and Juliet: Linked via the locally-rooted Elizabeth Vernon, the "Fair Mistress" of the Sonnets, whose family ties tether the tragedy to our district.
​

​This wasn't just literary; it was a social reality.

The 1573 marriage of Elizabeth Corbet to Robert Arden (son of Edward Arden of Park Hall) physically linked the Corbet family to the Ardens—Shakespeare’s own cousins. When the King’s Men performed in Shrewsbury between 1603 and 1605, they were walking ground shared by kin.

​From the "Father of English Ballet" John Weaver to the 1581 riverside greeting of Sir Henry Sidney by scholars dressed as nymphs, Shropshire has always "punched well above its weight." This bid is a chance to bridge the gap between our town spires, our village greens, and our historic halls.

​Read the full story in the Shropshire Star here: https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/shrewsbury/2026/02/27/i-see-history-in-every-corner-of-this-shropshire-town-now-its-time-it-was-named-town-of-culture/

Shrewsbury BID Cllr Alex Wagner

​

Shrewsbury is bidding to become the UK’s first Town of Culture, championing a thousand years of history and a thriving creative scene.

02/03/2026

The Ironbridge Gorge Museums are starting a new chapter as management officially shifts from the Museum Trust to the National Trust.

​Since 1967, the original Trust has done an incredible job. They took old, derelict industrial ruins and built them into a world-class UNESCO site. For nearly 60 years, their staff and volunteers have kept the "birthplace of the Industrial Revolution" alive and kicking for all of us to enjoy.

​Thanks to a £9 million investment from the government, this transition helps ensure these ten museums and dozens of monuments are protected for the future.

​We want to recognize the massive legacy left behind by the outgoing team. Their hard work has set the stage for everything to come. Best of luck to the National Trust as they take over the care of this vital piece of history!

02/03/2026

Today, March 2nd, the bells ring across the Shropshire plain for Chad (d. 672 AD).

History often looks toward the cathedral to our east, but here, Chad is remembered as a traveler of the open road, and his story also engages the ground beneath our feet— the ancient Roman artery between Chester and Wroxeter that runs directly through this landscape.

​The first leader of the community at Lichfield was famously the "Walking Bishop." He rejected the status of a horse, choosing instead to travel the Roman roads of Mercia at eye-level with the people. When Chad traveled from his seat at Lichfield Cathedral toward the strategic centers of Shrewsbury and Chester, he used the reliable paving of the Roman highway. This path brought him directly through this stretch of country, past the high ground of Prees, where the local church still bears his name as a living landmark of his 7th-century work.

​This was not just a local track; it was a segment of a vital corridor established by the foundational figures of the 7th century.

Following closely in Chad's footsteps was Winifred (d. c. 690 AD), whose life and survival at Holywell created the northern anchor for this route. If Chad was the one who broke the ground, Winifred provided the destination. Together, they turned the Roman roads of the West Midlands into a well-traveled path for those seeking a deeper connection to the land. This route was later frequented by monarchs—including Richard I, Edward I, and Henry VII—who recognized the importance of the Mercian landscape. By traveling this road, these kings were following a path marked by both Chad and Winifred in quick succession. The route turned the Shropshire countryside into a continuous space of protection, connecting the humble work of the 7th century to the royal interest of the later Middle Ages. Even in the darker chapters of royal history, the road remained the primary conduit; Richard II likely walked this very stretch after he was detained at Flint (Gwig) in 1399, moving as a prisoner along the same path that his predecessors had traveled as seekers.

​The Roman road is a persistent presence in the landscape.

Whether it was Chad walking the stones in the 600s or the royal movements of the 1300s and 1400s, this path has functioned as a place of transition. In Prees is just two miles away th church still bears his name ( PEW Group ).

​Chad was not working in isolation. He and Erkenwald (the patron of London) were colleagues and contemporaries in those same formative years. Both were appointed as leaders in the 660s—Chad to the Mercians and Erkenwald to the East Saxons—and both were mentored within the same traditions that valued foundation and reconciliation. ​To recall Chad today is to recognize a partnership that defined the map of the 7th century. While their paths diverged toward different centers of power, they walked the same Roman roads and shared the same goal of providing a safe haven. Whether in the stones of a London cathedral or the quiet fields of a Shropshire parish, the legacy of these colleagues remains joined—reminding us that the history of this landscape is never isolated.

​Happy St. Chad’s Day to all who are marking it.

01/03/2026

Happy St David’s Day!

It is a striking historical coincidence that the Tripartite Indenture—the document that sought to define the very borders of Wales—was signed on February 28, 1405, just as the eve of St David’s Day began.

For a place like Soulton, the history of the Shropshire Marches and has its own deep, encoded links to the Renaissance and Shakespearean thought, this is the perfect story to share.

Today, as we celebrate St David’s Day, we look toward the Welsh hills from the wimdows of the hall and remember a moment in 1405 when the ground beneath our feet was almost rewritten.

621 years ago today, the "Tripartite Indenture" was finalized. This was no simple alliance; it was a radical plan to dismantle the English Crown.

Owain Glyndŵr, Edmund Mortimer, and Henry Percy (the Earl of Northumberland) met—likely in the home of the Archdeacon of Bangor not too far from here—to sign a treaty that would have shifted the Welsh border significantly eastward.

Under the terms of the 1405 agreement, Soulton and the surrounding Shropshire landscape would have transitioned from an English frontier to the heart of a vast, independent Welsh Principality. The proposed border was delineated to follow the River Severn to Onennau Meigion (the "Ashes of Meigion"), a site identified today as Six Ashes on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border. Historically significant in ancient Welsh literature, this landmark was intended to serve as the definitive marker for an expanded Wales, bringing the strategic territories of the Welsh Marches directly under Owain Glyndŵr's sovereignty.

While William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1 famously places Prince Hal in the taverns of London, local history tells a truer story. During the years of the Glyndŵr rebellion, the "Prince of Wales" wasn't drinking in Eastcheap; he was headquartered right here in Shrewsbury and his court was in Shropshire.

The fields of Shropshire were his training ground.

The nearby Battle of Shrewsbury (1403)—where the Percy rebellion was first broken—happened just a few miles from our doorstep. For families like the Corbets, these weren't just "History Plays"; they were the terrifying reality of life on the front lines.

Our local ancestors had to navigate the "Tripartite" threat: do you stay loyal to the House of Lancaster, or do you bet on the Percy-Mortimer-Glyndŵr alliance?

The echoes of these wars eventually found their way into the very architecture and philosophy of the Shropshire gentry. By the time of the Tudors, the chaos of the 1400s had been replaced by the "Tudor Peace."

It was during this later era that Elizabeth Corbet (daughter of Sir Reginald Corbet) married Robert Arden in 1573. This union linked the Corbet family—survivors of the Marcher wars—to the Ardens of Park Hall, the family of William Shakespeare’s mother, Mary Arden. It is a reminder that the "Cycle of History" Shakespeare wrote about was a family story for the people of this county.

On this St David's Day, we honor the complex, shared history of the Borderlands. We remember Owain Glyndŵr’s vision of a Great Wales, the fierce battles fought on Shropshire soil, and the eventual peace that allowed the Renaissance to bloom in the Marches.

At Soulton Hall, the past isn't behind us—it’s in the soil, the stones, and the stories we continue to tell.
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! (Happy St David’s Day!)