The relationship between Hawkstone Hall, Redcastle, and Soulton can sometimes be confusing, so let’s clear things up.
Before Sir Rowland’s time, Soulton was a elite gentry house owned by a knight of the shire, the Corbets, and several Lord Mayors.
Back then, the main residence at Hawkstone was Red Castle, the first castle there, built in 1227 by Henry de Audley, Sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire. This Norman enclosure castle, built of sandstone on a natural rock outcrop, was flanked on all sides by wide valleys. The castle had many names: Red Castle; Rubree; Radeclif, Redcliffe, Redde, Castle Rous, and Hawkstone. Around the same time (1227-1232), Henry also built Heighley Castle at Madeley, Staffordshire, and made it the family’s caput (main seat).
The “Red Castle,” as it became known, remained with the de Audley family until the early 16th century, but was declining in importance. Repairs were undertaken in 1283, and it was still in use in 1322, but by around 1400, it seems to have been abandoned. When Leland visited the castle around 1540, he described it as ruinous.
The Lodge family had Soulton at this timw which had become an extensive and comfortable manor with a base court range on the new (current) home site from 1420 onwards.
Sir Rowland Hill acquired both manors and made Soulton the more important site with the building of a new hall there (he needed the stream crossing and the view over the cliffs for specific alagorical and artistic reasons).
Upon his death, his older male heir took Soulton, and the younger brother took Hawkstone. In the early 17th century, a new hall was built at Hawkstone, but not on the site of what is now called Hawkstone Hall.
Painting of Hawkstone Hall in a cleaner phase of building before later changes muted the clever origianal design
The building that carries that title today was not built until well into in the second half of the 17th century. It is shown below. Can you see how the later Hawkstone Hall resembles Soulton, with the white central part inserted and the use of turrets and brick?
Scholarly reconstruction of Soulton Hall in accession created by James D. Wenn and James R. Syrett of Byrga Geniht Ltd for Soulton Hall in 2024.
