KNARESBOROUGH CASTLE

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DESCRIPTION

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The ruins of the medieval castle of Knaresborough which was originally built between AD 1100-1160. It was reconstructed in 1212 but little remains from this period. It was altered again in the 14th century and it consisted of a large range of buildings, however all that survives from that period are the twin towers of the East Gate and fragments of the curtain wall. Knaresborough Castle was granted to the Duchy of Lancaster circa 1372 and owes its preservation to having been an administrative centre of the Duchy.

The present buildings consist of a keep, gateway and curtain walls (dating to 1320-60). The keep is in fairly good condition and parts of the east gatehouse tower remains but only isolated fragments of the curtain wall survive. The moat from the east gate around the south arc of the castle to the river cliff is intact but landscaping of the north moat has destroyed its character. The keep or donjon is unusual as it may have been deliberately constructed to impress visitors rather than for defensive purposes. The castle and its environs have been converted to a public park.

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SE 3490 5690: Castle [G.T.] (Remains of) (1)

Knaresborough Castle. Of the first castle, of period 1100-60 (3) with reconstruction in 1212, practically nothing remains. The present remains are attributable to the period 1320-60. (2-3)

The remains of Knaresborough Castle are now owned by the Urban District Council who have converted the surrounding grounds into ornamental gardens and a pleasure park. The structural remains comprising the keep, gateway and curtain wall are in a good state of preservation and are open to the public. The moat has been surveyed at 1/2500.

GPs. AO.62.93.4 AO 62.93.5 and AO 62.93.6 show the SE S.W. and N.E. aspects of the King's Tower or keep respectively.
GP. AO. 62.93.7 shows the S.E. aspect of the remains of the
gateway. (4)

Knaresborough Castle was granted to the Duchy of Lancaster circa 1372 and owes its preservation to having been an administrative centre of the Duchy. In 1609 it was described as 'much decayed'. Listed as Gd 1. (5-7)

On a site prepared by nature and fortified by military skill
the castle consisted of outer and inner bailey surrounded by curtain wall and a keep of C14. The curtain wall has mostly fallen into the moat but parts of the Gateway remain showing the portcullis grooves. The keep was slighted after the Civil War, but its remarkable vaulting to the dungeon and kitchen remain in good preservation. The upper portion is somewhat puzzling and there are conflicting explanations. The Porter's Lodge is an interesting fragment near the keep. The underground passages are fine ones cut in the limestone rick, and give access to the sally port in the moat.
Source 8 is the full text of Source 7. (8)

(SE 348569) Knaresborough Castle, scheduled No NY/481.(9)

Knaresborough Castle, full architectural details and concise
history. (10)

A number of additional sources on the castle. (11-44)

Knaresborough Castle and its environs including the moat have been converted to a public park. The keep is in fairly good condition and parts of the east gatehouse towers remain, but only isolated fragments of the curtain wall survive. The moat
from the east gate around the south arc of the castle to the river cliff is intact but landscaping of the north moat has destroyed its character and the north east part has been filled in and is now occupied by roads and a car park. (45)

Listed by Cathcart King. (46)

Additional reference. (47)

Scheduling revision. (48)

This source contains information on the unusual donjon of the castle and provides various interpretations for its features including its "theatrical" nature. (49)

This website source contains a detailed description of the history and physical features of the castle. (50)

A further interesting article on Knaresborough Castle. (51)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1932-8

( 2) by John L Illingworth 1970 Yorkshire's ruined castles : an account of their history, asssociations and architecture with a chapter on the fortified houses of the county

Page(s)56-63

( 3) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

(S.C.Barber) 30 - 1931 Page(s)200-24

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F1 RL 04-MAY-1962

( 5) R Allen Brown, H M Colvin and A J Taylor 1963 The history of the King's Works, volume 2 : the Middle Ages

1963 Page(s)687-91

( 6) by H M Colvin, D R Ransome and John Summerson 1975 The history of the King's Works, volume 3 : 1485-1660 (part 1)

1975 Page(s)179-81

( 7) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) Knaresborough UD Yorks WR 1968 1

( 8) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) Knaresborough UD Yorks WR 1968 1

( 9) by Department of the Environment, Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings London 1978 List of ancient monuments in England: Volume 1, Northern England; Volume 2, Southern England; Volume 3, East Anglia and the Midlands

1978 Page(s)64

(10) by Geo T Clark 1884 Medieval military architecture in England. Volume 2

(G T Clark) 1884 Page(s)168-76

(11) edited by William Page 1912 The Victoria history of the county of York, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England 1912 Page(s)4,5

(12) Journal of the British Archaeological Association

29 - 1923 Page(s)79-83

(13) Journal of the British Archaeological Association

31 - 1925 Page(s)266-7

(14) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

(G T Clark) 6 - 1881 Page(s)98-112

(15) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

13 - 1894-5 Page(s)110

(16) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

30 - 1929-31 Page(s)200-24

(17) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

(Atkinson) 31 - 1931-34 Page(s)114-131

(18) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

(Atkinson) 33 - 1936-38 Page(s)175-95

(19) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

(Atkinson) 36 - 1944-47 Page(s)198-208

(20) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

41 - 1966 Page(s)591-607

(21) D F Renn 1968 Norman Castles in Britain

1968 Page(s)219

(22) by John L Illingworth 1970 Yorkshire's ruined castles : an account of their history, asssociations and architecture with a chapter on the fortified houses of the county

Page(s)57-63

(23) General reference

Castles & Abbeys of Yorkshire (Ruins) 1855 (W Grainge) Page(s)105-16

(24) General reference

Antiquities of England & Wales 4 1776 not paginated (Grose)

(25) Department of the Environment Archaeological excavations

1961-2 Page(s)12

(26) General reference

West Riding of Yorkshire 1932 326-8 (J E Morris)

(27) Society of Antiquaries of London Archaeologia : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity

(E King) 6 - 1782 Page(s)324-26

(28) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

6-7- 1962-3 Page(s)324

(29) by Sidney Toy 1953 The castles of Great Britain

1953 Page(s)206-7

(30) by Geo T Clark 1884 Medieval military architecture in England. Volume 2

Page(s)230

(31) by Hugh Braun 1936 The English castle

1936 Page(s)56,99,112

(32) by A Hamilton Thompson 1912 Military architecture in England during the Middle Ages

(A H Thompon)

(33) General reference

Ant & Topo Cabinet 10 1811 not paginated illustration (J Storer)

(34) General reference

Topological & Historical Description of Yorkshire 1819 636 (J Bigland)

(35) General reference

Old Yorkshire 1881 86 (W Smith)

(36) General reference

Old Yorkshire 1885 199-226 (W Wheater)

(37) General reference

Old Yorkshire 1890 122-7 (W Smith)

(38) General reference

Early Yorkshire Charters 1 1914 392

(39) General reference

History of Knaresborough 1832 3 6-29 (E Hargrove)

(40) General reference

History of the Castle and Town of Knaresborough 1769 (E Hargrove)

(41) General reference

History of Yorkshire 3 1831 396 (T Allen)

(42) General reference

Ancient Buildings of Harrogate 1946 5 (E S Wood)

(43) General reference

Tour from Alston Moor to Harrogate 1804 99-100 (T Pennant)

(44) General reference

Upper Nidderdale 1906 19-29 (H Speight)

(45) Field Investigators Comments

F2 NKB 28-AUG-86

(46) David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands

2 - 1983 Page(s)520

(47) edited by Peter Furtado et al 1988 Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain

Page(s)195

(48) Scheduled Monument Notification

EH scheduling revised, 05-JUL-2002

(49) World Wide Web page

Google books. 2009.Chateau-Gaillard, http://books.google.com/books?id=Yq4cz1Ehl6wC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0#PPA126,M1 [Accessed 17-JUN-2009] Page(s)121-139

(50) World Wide Web page

Knaresborough online. 2009. Knaresborough Castle, http://www.knaresborough.co.uk/castle/ [Accessed 17-JUN-2009]

(51) Country Life

J. Goodall: "A Royal Gift" (Knaresborough Castle) 202.3 (2008) Page(s)72-5

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