Chartley Castle lies in ruins to the north of the village of Stowe-by-Chartley in Staffordshire, between Stafford and Uttoxeter (grid reference SK010285). It is a Grade II* listed building

The motte and bailey castle was built by one of the early Earls of Chester circa 1100 as a safe stop over for their journeys to places like Tutbury. It was rebuilt in 1220 by Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester, who died in 1232. It then passed by marriage to William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby. It remained in the Ferrers family for more than 200 years and in 1453 passed to Walter Devereux through his wife Elizabeth, the Ferrers heiress. Walter was created Baron Ferrers in 1461 and was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The castle was then abandoned as a residence and Chartley Manor, a moated and battlemented timber mansion, was built nearby but was destroyed by fire in 1781 What is now known as Chartley Manor was in fact known as Chartley Manor Farm until the 1980s

Substantial remains are still present today, including a rare cylindrical keep, a curtain wall flanked by two half-round towers, a twin-towered gatehouse and an angled tower. A survey conducted in the nineteenth century identified five towers ranging from 35 to 41 feet external diameter, and the keep, 50 feet in diameter . One author has noted similarities of the plan to Montlhery near Paris, France, which Ranulph de Blondeville may have been familiar with. M.W. Thompson has noted numerous architectural similarities between Chartley, Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire, and also Beeston Castle in Cheshire, all thought to have been built under de Blondeville .

Bev Pegg is a UK vocalist, guitarist and comedian from the Black Country. He was born in 1941 in Halesowen, and lived in Cradley (cradleylinks.co.uk) in his early years. He entertains crowds with his humorous anecdotes on his experiences in the Black Country from childhood to the present day, interspersed with related songs. Besides his solo performances, he fronts his “Bev Pegg and his Good Time Jazz Gang” playing classic jazz from the 1920s and 1930s, “Bev Pegg and his Cowboy Band” playing country music, “Bev Pegg and his Railroad Skiffle Group”, and also “Bev Pegg and his Rock ‘n’ Roll Band.”

His musical career started in the late 1950s when he played lead guitar with the Rhythmaires. In the early 1960s, Bev moved on to the jazz scene playing with pianist Duncan Swift. He was with Ken Rattenbury and his Band during the 1960s and played alongside Bill Rank during 1968. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Bev was into the more contemporary folk / rock style that was in vogue at the time. It was in this period at his studio in Kinver, that he recorded songs with Clifford T. Ward, immediately before Clifford was signed to the Dandelion label of which John Peel was a co-owner (Get Your Kicks on the A456 by John Combe, p. 187). He has recorded songs by Dave Cartwright and also John Richards with whom he co-wrote “Did You Like The Battle Sir?”. This song has been recorded by Paul Downes and many other notable folk artists.