I love a good castle. As a kid I would go and explore these places, making up stories and pretending I was a knight or a noble lady, off to do something epic, like fighting a dragon (naturally). Nowadays my stories are a bit more grounded in reality, but no less awesome for it. When I visit a castle, I want to know – who lived here? Who visited here? Which famous feet have walked these halls, and what did they do whilst they were here? Which momentous historical events were kickstarted from beside these very stones? A place is never just a place, but the people who passed through it, and the things they did whilst there.
Throughout history, Yorkshire has been a fairly wild and unruly place. Its people have always had a strong sense of identity, pride in their homes, and a distinct dislike of being “managed” by those imposed above them, whether it’s through a change of regime or a religious mandate of some sort. As a result, it was very important for those who did want to try and manage the people of Yorkshire to have strongholds and fortifications from which to do it. This meant castles. From Iron Age hill forts, to motte and bailey castles, to the towering stone structures or ruins that we traditionally picture when thinking of castles, Yorkshire is littered with them, or the remains/imprints of where they once stood. Buckle up everyone and let’s get nerdy about the history of these castles…
Richmond Castle
Richmond Castle is one of the best preserved early Norman Castles in the country. Building began on the “strong hill” (Riche Mount) in 1071, a mere five years after the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest. The Castle was begun by Count Alan ‘the Red’ o Penthièvre (‘The Red’ was probably a reference to his hair, not his temper!), a kinsman of William the Conqueror, after he was granted land throughout the North for his loyal service. Long stretches of the curtain wall, and the great archway into the keep were built in the 1080s and survive to this day.
The Normans and Angevins
It was essential for a strong base to be established quickly in this part of the country. Yorkshire was incredibly resistant to the Normans – so much so that William laid waste to the county in his bid for control, killing thousands – so having a castle here meant have a stronghold for Norman loyalists to withstand local unrest, and from which to exert their oppressive control.
Following the establishment of Norman rule, Richmond became part of a very important and wealthy power base. In the twelfth century it was owned by the Duke of Brittany (through marriage), and it was through the extensive wealth of that particular principality that the Duke built the enormous keep that stands today, as a symbol of his status. During this period there may also have been a private mint at Richmond, where coins were created in support of King Stephen during The Anarchy.
It was after this time that Richmond became a royal stronghold – in the reign of Henry II. There is evidence of two further rebellions within the next hundred years (see what I mean about Yorkshire??); one against King John in 1215 (probably justified!), and in the 1260s Simon de Montfort – who was rebelling against Henry III – ordered that Richmond Castle be put under siege.
During the following century, the castle served in the capacity it is often imagined as – a defensive structure. Northern England came under repeated attacks from Scotland, especially after the disastrous defeat at Bannockburn in 1314. There was a further attack by locals in the 1340s. It was at this time that the castle began to fall into ruin, and despite various repairs and patch-ups made over the years, by the mid-sixteenth century it was recorded as being derelict.
Later History
The castle was used for various military operations following this period, in patched together parts of the old castle or prison. Famously it was used as a prison for the ‘Richmond Sixteen’ – a group of conscientious objectors during the First World War, who refused to take part in any activity to do with the war effort, due to their fundamental beliefs. One of the most moving parts of the castle is the graffiti that was left behind by these prisoners, etched into the walls, illustrating just how long they were held for.
The castle today is cared for by English Heritage.
Middleham Castle
When most people hear the word Middleham, they think Richard III. Richard III spent a lot of his childhood growing up within the formidable walls of Middleham Castle. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves… let’s go back to the beginning.
Unsurprisingly, the area around Middleham Castle was granted to the same Norman who owned Richmond. The two are not very far apart, and William the Conqueror needed to know that he had friends in the unruly North. The original castle was built just to the south of where the ruin today now stands, probably built in the 1080s, much the same as Richmond. Unlike Richmond, the original castle at Middleham was made of wood – a ringwork castle, surrounded by a deep ditch. Fast forward to the end of the 12th century, late in the reign of Henry II, and the Keep at Middleham was built. The tower and chapel were added before 1250.
Middleham, The Nevilles, and Richard III
It was the Neville’s who made Middleham what it is today. It was through Mary fitz Ranulph marrying Robert Neville, that the castle passed into Neville hands, who would hold it until the fallout of the Wars of the Roses. Little seems to have changed at Middleham throughout this period, as the Nevilles were concentrating on their other fortresses in the North, including Raby Castle (which is an absolute must visit!) and Sheriff Hutton.
Late in the fourteenth century there was a series of works completed at Middleham, including raising the curtain wall, the towers were heightened. This work must have been completed by the early fifteenth century, as Henry IV stayed at the castle whilst on progress to the North.
It was with the Wars of the Roses, and the rise to prominence of ‘The Kingmaker,’ Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, that Middleham gained its fame. Warwick was a pivotal in Edward IV’s ascension to the throne, and their alliance was enough that by 1465, the future Richard III entered the household of the Earl of Warwick at Neville. It would have been here that he would have spent some time with his future queen, Anne Neville, the Earl’s youngest daughter. Richard probably stayed at Middleham until the end of 1468, when he would have been considered a young man, ready to assume full adult responsibilities as a prince of the realm.
Within a decade, everything had changed; Warwick had flipped on Edward IV and even kept the King prisoner at Middleham Castle for a brief period in summer 1469. Edward escaped (or was set free), and later fled to the continent. It all came to a head in 1471 when the Yorkists met Warwick and the Lancastrians (his new allies) at the Battle of Barnet, where Warwick was defeated and killed. All the of the Neville lands in north; Middleham, Sheriff Hutton, Barnard Castle etc. were given to Richard, who married Neville’s daughter.
Richard’s marriage to Anne was a shrewd political move on his point (read more by opening the arrow if you’re interested, it’s a bit of a sidestep from Middleham!)
There is a very long historical side note here about the Neville entail – basically how the Neville lands were to be divided between the surviving female inheritors. Both sisters were married to the brothers of Edward IV and there was an intense dispute between George, Duke of Clarence (married to Isobel), and Richard (married to Anne), about how to divide up the available Neville lands following Warwick’s death. There are all sorts of exciting historical stories about how George hid Anne away before her marriage to Richard, so that he might have time to get his hands on all of the lands before his brother could stake his claim. At the end of the day, what transpired was the division of the lands between the two sister (and therefore their husbands gain), and the firm rejection of any claim by the Dowager Countess of Warwick (Neville’s widow), who was forced to remain in sanctuary, cut off from the world.
Following Richard’s defeat at the Battle of Bosworth, Middleham passed into the hands of Henry VII. Yorkshire rose up (pesky Yorkshiremen, at it again!) in rebellion against the new king (particularly the Scropes of Bolton Castle). I did my whole UG Dissertation on latent Ricardianism following his death and the trouble that the county caused for the newly installed Tudor monarch – very interesting stuff, and effectively Yorkshireman refused to admit defeat for quite a long time. Stubborn lot, are us Northerners!
Later History
During the Civil War, Parliament ordered the destruction of Middleham to prevent it being used as a Royalist stronghold (much like the neighbouring Bolton Castle), but unlike Bolton, there is no record of this “slighting” ever taking place. The castle was actually garrisoned for Parliament in the 1650s, but following the restoration it was sold once again into private hands.
Over the next three hundred years, the castle continued to slowly decay, with odd repairs and clearings taking place when it became dangerous or essential to do so. Conservation work was carried by Lord Masham at the turn of the 20th century, but by the 1930 the private owners had gifted the castle to the State, and into public hands where it remains to this day, under the care of English Heritage.
Two beautiful castles, two power strongholds in different periods of history, and some information to give context for the next/first time you visit. Which one are you going to go to first and see the places where history happened? Join me for Part Two in a few weeks where I’ll be discussing Skipton and Knaresborough Castle…
