Your History: A Daring Escape
Unusually, Ludlow Castle contains two chapels. Most people are familiar with the chapel in the inner bailey which has the distinguishing feature of a circular nave – the Round Chapel. Less well-known is St Peter’s Chapel, which, in the medieval period, was accessed from the bustling outer bailey; however, since the 19th century rearrangement of the walls, it is now accessed from the walkway round the outside of the castle.
The chapel was built, and dedicated to St Peter ad Vincula (St Peter in Chains), by Roger Mortimer (d.1330) in honour of a promise. As outlined in the May issue of Local Ludlow, Roger had become the lord of Ludlow when he married the heiress Joan de Geneville. When disagreements with the advisers close to Edward II escalated into armed conflict, Roger was captured and sentenced to death; however, the sentence was changed to one of life imprisonment in the Tower of London. On 1st August 1323, the eve of the feast of St Peter ad Vincula, Roger Mortimer made a daring escape from theTower.With his guards drugged,and while the feast was being celebrated, Roger scaled two walls before dropping down on the outside of the Tower to a waiting boat to cross the Thames. On the south side of the river, horses were ready to take him to the coast, from where a ship carried him to France. As he escaped, Roger promised, if he survived, to build a chapel dedicated to St Peter ad Vincula. During the period when Roger was the virtual ruler of the country following his return to England in 1326, he honoured that promise.
The Mortimer History Society has arranged an event at the Tower of London on Tuesday 1st August to mark the 700th anniversary of Roger Mortimer’s escape.
Full details and booking can be found on the MHS website: https://mortimerhistorysociety.org.uk/events.
Photo: St Peter’s Chapel, Ludlow Castle © Philip Hume