Shrewsbury Castle is an 11th century earthwork motte and bailey fortress, founded by Roger de Montgomery. It is possible that the castle replaced an earlier Saxon fortification, that would have guarded the original approach to the town. In 1164, King Henry II founded the red sandstone castle, when encasing the oval inner bailey with a curtain wall, pierced by a plain arched gateway. In the 13th century, King Edward I built the great hall and strengthen the royal castle with a rectangular outer bailey. During the Civil War, the Royalists repaired the castle but in 1645 it was captured by a small Parliamentary force. In the late 18th century, Thomas Telford remodelled the interior of the hall and added Laura's Tower to the mound. 4 miles north is the site of the Battle of Shrewsbury and 8 miles north-east is Ercall Hall.