Whittington Castle was originally an Iron Age fort, encased by triple banks and ditches, which remain to the north and west. It is also possible that King Offa founded a Saxon earth and timber fortification in the fort. In the late 11th century, William Peverel founded an earthwork motte and bailey fortress, defended by wet ditches on the site. In the mid 12th century, King Henry II founded the stone castle, when crowning the motte with a rectangular keep. In 1221, Sir Foulke fitz Warin was granted a licence to crenellate and he totally encased the motte with a shell keep, flanked by five huge round towers. Two of the towers defended the gateway into the new inner bailey, with a twin-towered gatehouse defending the large walled outer bailey. The castle was dismantled in the 18th century for road stone and the outer gatehouse is now a 1809 restoration. 3 miles west is Oswestry Castle.