Castle Church

No individual entry found for Castle Church in the Domesday survey. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (Stafford, vol. 5, 1959) notes: "The castle of the Stafford barony is not mentioned in Domesday Book, but the existence of the remains of what was undoubtedly a motte and bailey castle [...] and references to the existence of a chapel 'within the castle' from the time of the Conquest [...] make it probable that the first fortification of the Stafford family, on the hill south-west of Stafford, was built soon after the Conquest. [...] The church of St. Mary 'in the castle of Stafford' is first specifically mentioned in 1252. [...] It was then stated that this church had existed from the time of the Conquest and that its advowson had belonged to the royal free chapel of St. Mary, Stafford, until it was given in the reign of Henry II by Robert de Stafford (II) to Stone Priory. [...] In 1548 it was stated that all sacraments and rites, except burial, were administered in this church as in a parish church, burial being at St. Mary's Church, Stafford. [...] It was rebuilt except for the tower in 1845 and enlarged in 1898. [...] The Norman style of the nave and the Early English style of the chancel were probably suggested by features of the existing church and some of the 12th and 13th-century stones were reused. [...] The font of Norman design with a square bowl and circular shafts was installed c. 1845. The former 18th-century font was of the simple pillar type." [NB: some sources give the dedication as St Mary's; other give St Lawrence's]