Photo source: Hatsle, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Soulton Hall is a Grade II* listed historic house in Shropshire, and a member of Historic Houses. Read about its history and architecture, plus how to visit and what's nearby.
About Soulton Hall
Soulton Hall is a Tudor country house near Wem in Shropshire, built between 1556 and 1560 by Sir Rowland Hill, who served as London's first Protestant Lord Mayor.
The house contains a basement chapel, a priest hole, and bookcases that conceal further rooms within its thick walls.
Tours are sometimes led by a family member or a historian with specialist knowledge of the house.
History of Soulton Hall
Soulton appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, long before the present hall was built. Sir Rowland Hill, who died in 1561, constructed the current house during the upheavals of the English Reformation, and the estate remained with his family for generations. In 2021 archaeologists uncovered the remains of a medieval castle on the grounds.
Architecture of Soulton Hall
Scholars have read the hall's design as an expression of humanist thinking, drawing on classical geometry and scripture rather than typical Tudor models of the period. Sir Rowland Hill is traditionally credited as the builder, working within the architectural fashions of the 1550s.
Worth knowing
The grounds are traditionally linked to Shakespeare's As You Like It and to Thomas Lodge's Rosalynde, said to have shaped the play's pastoral setting.
Facilities
Plan your visit to Soulton Hall
Nearest station: Wem Rail Station (1.9 miles)
Places to visit near Soulton Hall
Moreton Corbet Castle
View Moreton Corbet Castle on heritage mapWollerton Old Hall Garden
View Wollerton Old Hall Garden on heritage mapSt Martin's Church, Preston Gubbals
View St Martin's Church, Preston Gubbals on heritage mapSt Mary Magdalene's Church, Battlefield
View St Mary Magdalene's Church, Battlefield on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 5 miles of Soulton Hall there are 3 historic properties, including 2 historic houses, across Historic Houses and English Heritage sites.
Within 10 miles of Soulton Hall there are 9 historic properties, including 4 historic houses and 3 churchs, across Historic Houses, Churches Conservation Trust and English Heritage sites.
Within 20 miles of Soulton Hall there are 45 historic properties, including 13 historic buildings, 12 historic houses and 6 churchs, across English Heritage, Historic Houses and National Trust sites.
Facts
A Tudor house built on humanist geometry, with a priest hole, a basement chapel, and a medieval castle rediscovered on the grounds.
- Type
- historic house
- Location
- Shropshire, England
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