The wait is finally over, we would like to introduce The Elephant Gatehouse, located to the left of the hotel front door, this beautiful town house sleeps up to 6 people with two double bedrooms and bunk beds for the children along with it’s own private garden and balcony with views overlooking Bishops Castle.
It has a fully equipped kitchen, large bathroom with bath and walk in shower and a large living room with log burning stove to keep guests warm during the winter months. A fabulous base for families looking to explore Shropshire.
Why the “Elephant” Gatehouse
During The Second World War many circus’s were still in operation. A number of them moved their animals and elephants out of the cities to Bishops Castle to avoid the bombings. A large number of elephants were housed in the stables of The Castle Hotel that ran along the back of the hotel car park. The Gatehouse was the main part of this stabling block. On return to collect their elephants and in the confusion a single Indian Elephant was left and remained unclaimed. It continued to live in the gatehouse for a time in Bishops Castle, with locals remembering its walks around town and children would head up after school to help feed him.
From then onwards the Gatehouse has been known to the local population as The “Elephant” House and this history has been immortalised in the stained glass windows on gatehouse front doors which bear pictures of the elephant.
