Longford is a village and former

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

, now in the parish of

Church Aston Church Aston is a village and parish in Shropshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,354. It is to the south of Newport, though has become merged with the town in recent years due to suburban growth. Als ...

, in the

Telford and Wrekin Telford and Wrekin is a Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough and unitary authority in Shropshire, England. In 1974, a non-metropolitan district of Shropshire was created called the Wrekin, named after The Wrekin, a prominent hill to the ...

district, in the ceremonial county of

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

, England. It is near the town of Newport. In 1961 the parish had a population of 102. On 1 April 1988 the parish was abolished and merged with Church Aston. Roman coins and medieval artifacts have been discovered in the village and it was listed in

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

in 1086 with a population of 23 households, 13.5 plough lands and a mill. The historic manor covers 1,306 acres and includes the townships of Brockton and Stockton. Sites of historic importance include: Longford Hall, a late 16th-century dovecote, Church of St Mary, 13th century Talbot Chapel, remains of a mill race and several farm buildings. During the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

, the Battle of Longford was fought here. On 25 March 1644, Colonel

Thomas Mytton Major General Thomas Mytton, also spelt Mitton, (1597-November 1656), was a lawyer from Oswestry who served in the Parliamentarian army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and as MP for Shropshire in the First Protectorate Parliament. Pa ...

, commanding 500 Parliamentarians, was headed for the Royalist ("

Cavaliers The term ''Cavalier'' () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of Charles I of England and his son Charles II of England, Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum (England), Int ...

") strongholds of

Lilleshall Abbey Lilleshall Abbey was an Augustinians, Augustinian abbey in Shropshire, England, today located north of Telford. It was founded between 1145 and 1148 and followed the austere customs and observance of the Arrouaise, Abbey of Arrouaise in northe ...

and Lea Castle, paused at Longford which was garrisoned by Parliamentarians ("

Roundheads Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

") to rest his men. There, however, Sir William Vaughan and Colonel

Robert Ellice General Robert Ellice (13 October 1784 – 18 June 1856) was a British Army officer. Military career Born the son of Scottish merchant and fur trader Alexander Ellice and brother of Edward Ellice and Alexander Ellice, Ellice was commissione ...

leading local Royalist forces found Mytton and routed him. Having driven off Mytton, the Royalists then besieged the small garrison which took shelter in Longford Hall. The Hall held out for a week before surrendering to the Royalists 2 April 1644. In the late autumn of 1645,

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

appeared before Longford. The village was quickly taken and the General immediately placed Longford Hall under siege. Upon Cromwell's call for the garrison to surrender, Sir Bartholomew Pell, the Royalist commander, entered into negotiations with Cromwell, winning favourable terms. Pell surrendered to Colonel Hawson and Major Kelsy. Under the terms of surrender, the garrison was to surrender their arms “without imbezeling”. Pell and his 14 officers were allowed to retain their horses, swords and pistols. The garrison was to be escorted toward

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

. Once these terms were met, Pell and the remaining 14 officers would leave Longford Hall. Longford Hall was built in 1275 by Adam de Brompton and owned by the

Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland ...

. In April 1644 it was captured by Royalists and subsequently demolished. The present house was built on the site 1794-97 by Colonel Ralph Leeke and designed by Joseph Bonomi. Longford Hall is now the junior boarding house and sports fields of

Adams' Grammar School Haberdashers' Adams Grammar School is a selective state grammar school for high-achieving boys and girls aged 11–18 with boarding for boys, located in Newport, Shropshire, offering day and boarding education. As of 2024, boarding fees are £14, ...

. The area is situated on the Brockton Fault. Sandstone (Kidderminster Conglomerate) and slate are prevalent in the area and were once mined at Brockton, Stockton and Church Aston.

References

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{{authority control Villages in Shropshire Former civil parishes in Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Church Aston

See also

References

External links