Moreton Corbet is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Moreton Corbet and Lee Brockhurst, in the Shropshire district, in the ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. The village's toponym refers to the Corbet baronets, the local landowners.
It is just north of the larger village of Shawbury near Stanton upon Hine Heath and the River Roden. Moreton Corbet lies about NNE of the market town of Shrewsbury. In the village is the ruin of Moreton Corbet castle.
Village
In 1870–72 John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Moreton Corbet thus:
The village has seen steady development and population growth since then.
The 1961 census recorded a population in Moreton Corbet of 257 people, the population of the area being rather inconsistent as only 10 years earlier it reached 350. According to a 2001 census, the population of "Moreton Corbet and Lee Brockhurst" was 281: 149 males and 132 females with the biggest age range occurring between 45- and 64-year-olds.
The first census to report on how well people were housed was that of 1891, but the only statistics gathered were the number of rooms and the number of people in each household. The total amount of households rose to 72 in 1961 and further again to a total of 114 households by 2001. The majority of these households consisted of whole detached houses and bungalows, of which mainly married couples inhabited.
On 1 April 1988 the parish was abolished to form "Moreton Corbet & Lee Brockhurst", part also went to Shawbury.
Among Moreton Corbet's biggest attractions are the ruins of the castle, leading Moreton Corbet to be called "one of the most exciting places to visit in Shropshire", and described as a "magnificent and unusual, ornate ruin, that is disturbingly atmospheric".
Castle
Early stages
Moreton Corbet Castle was formerly known as the Castle at Moreton Toret, and was first built by Bartholomew Toret after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. In about 1239 the castle passed by marriage to the Corbet family, which gave its name to the village. The Corbets still own the castle, but it is now being managed by English Heritage.
Development
Timber defences were replaced by stone in about 1200, and a gatehouse and the great tower were built. The great tower is said to be the earliest surviving building on the site, which would have dominated the medieval castle. The first-floor interior may have been a bedchamber for the lord of the castle. In the courtyard there would have stood a hall and other domestic buildings, but no trace of these survives. The gatehouse was most likely built in about the 13th century, forming the main entrance to the castle throughout its occupation. A depression in the ground in front of the gatehouse marks the line of where a ditch was, which would have been part of the castle's medieval defences. The ditch would have encircled the castle and most likely dates from the castle's first foundation. Sir Andrew Corbet, a prominent royal servant, remodelled the gatehouse around 1560. He and subsequent owners aimed to preserve the fortified medieval frontage, suggesting that the Corbets wanted the building to maintain its characteristics as a castle. A panel over the gatehouse arch commemorates Sir Andrew's work. It is carved with Sir Andrew's initials, SAC; the date 1579; and the Corbet family emblem of the elephant and castle.
Robert Corbet inherited Moreton Corbet castle in 1578 and immediately began to transform his ancestral home, influenced by his extensive travelling. He died of plague in 1583 and his brothers Richard and Vincent, who inherited the castle in turn, completed the range. In the Civil War Sir Vincent Corbet (died 1656) fought for the Royalist cause and the house was damaged in recurrent fighting. The buildings were later repaired and re-occupied.
In the 18th century the castle was abandoned as a residence and soon lost its roof. Plans were prepared in 1796 to build a new house on the site, but the project was never realised and the castle remained a ruin.