Richard's Castle

Richard Scrob was a Norman knight granted lands by the Saxon King Edward the Confessor before the Norman Conquest, in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. He built Richard's Castle before 1051. The castle was a motte-and-bailey style construction, one of only three or four castles of this type built before the Norman conquest. Most were built after the conquest. Richard was last mentioned in 1067. His castle passed to his son, Osbern Fitz Richard, who married Nest, the daughter of King Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Wales and Ealdgytha of Mercia.

Osbern died around 1137 and was succeeded by his grandson, Osbern Fitz Hugh (married to Amice Clifford, a sister of Rosamond Clifford), who died in 1187. Richard's Castle then passed to his marital brother-in-law, Hugh de Say (married to Lucy Clifford), who died in 1190, leaving the barony to his son, another Hugh Say. Thus the castle passed out of the line of descent of Richard Fitz Scrob. In 1196 this Hugh fought at the battle at New Radnor and was probably killed there, his castles eventually passing to Robert de Mortimer of Attleborough.

Richard's Castle belonged to the manor of Avretone (Overton), which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as being entirely part of the hundred of Cutestornes, a hundred of Herefordshire. Around the time of Henry I (1100–1139) the hundreds of Shropshire were greatly reformed and the hundred of Munslow was created; this hundred took in part of the parish of Richard's Castle (including Overton and Woofferton), causing the division of the parish and village between the counties that remains to the present day, as the remainder of the parish became part of the Herefordshire hundred of Wolphy.