William the Conqueror is thought to have ordered the construction of defences against a hostile and rebellious local populace in the years after the Norman conquest of 1066. The castle’s and the Stafford family’s fortunes changed dramatically.

Stafford Castle, a magnificent example of the motte and bailey structure, had a tumultuous mediaeval history. Ralph, a founding member of the Order of the Garter, was made 1st Earl of Stafford in the 14th century. In 1347, he ordered the construction of a stone keep on top of the motte, and the next year, he was granted a crenellation licence, and so the battlements were built.