SHERIFF HUTTON CASTLE

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The standing and buried remains of a quadrangular castle, built in 1382, as the successor to an earlier motte and bailey castle (SE 66 NE 8). It consisted of four angle towers and connecting ranges and was in a ruinous condition by 1618. The two western towers remain together with the gatehouse (probably an early 15th century addition), and fragments of the two other towers and connecting ranges.

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SE 6519 6623. Sheriff Hutton Castle (NR) Sounding Hall (NR). (1)

Sheriff Hutton Castle was a massive fortified house built in
1382 after the abandonment of the original castle (see SE 66 NE/8). It consisted of four angle towers and connecting ranges and was in a ruinous condition by 1618. The two western towers remain together with the gatehouse (probably a 15th century addition), and fragments of the two other towers and the connecting ranges. Under the south west tower is a deep keep or dungeon, 40 ft by 20 ft with a vaulted roof which is locally known as "Sounding Hall" due to the hollow jarring sound emitted when speaking aloud. On the south front of the castle are two oblong moats or double ditches, each about 200 yds long and 6 yds wide, but they do not appear to have surrounded the building. On the north side is a small ravine which contains an old well. Plan. (2-5)

The remains of the castle are basically as described, the alleged `deep keep' or `dungeon' (still known locally as "Sounding Hall") appearing to be no more than a normal vaulted cellar. Of the two oblong moats (both of which are now dry) the north one measures approximately 270m in length and varying between 12m and 9m in width, whilst the south one is approximately 360m in length
and varies between 13m and 6m in width. Both moats terminate abruptly. On the north side of the castle the ravine mentioned has been partially infilled and contains a modern bricked well only.

Published survey (25") revised on MSD. (6)

Castle, now ruinous. Begun in 1382 by John, Lord Neville, with C15 gatehouse inserted. Sandstone and limestone rubble. Rectangular on plan with 4 corner towers and remains of curtain walls enclosing inner court of 120 x 100 ft. Gatehouse to north of south-eastern tower, with a poorly aligned intermediate tower to north. Substantial remains of corner towers survive, to 4 storeys in places. Some trefoil headed cusped windows survive and several fireplaces. Gatehouse has 4 shields in relief over first floor window opening. Interior contains some surviving tunnel vaulting to ground floor and cellars, that to north-eastern tower particularly well-preserved. Pevsner "Yorkshire: The North Riding" 1966.
Victoria County History 1968. (7)

SE 651 662. Sheriff Hutton Castle. Scheduled no. NY/26. (8)

Listed by Cathcart King as a quadrangular castle. (9)

SE 65086619. Documentary sources dating from the first half of the 16th century refer to the castle's three courts, or wards. The inner court housed the hall, kitchen and lord's lodgings, including a chapel. The middle court was protected by three towers, the central one forming a gatehouse, probably added in the early 15th century. The outer court included a brewhouse, horse mills, stables and barns. South and west of the castle lie the earthwork remains of a landscaped garden, possibly created for Henry Fitzroy in the early 16th century. A long carriageway runs along a raised causeway between two long, parallel ornamental canals. Part of the northern canal may have been adapted from an earlier moat. West of the inner court are low earthworks which are thought to represent the remains of medieval properties fronting onto Finkle Street. Immediately to the south is an open area retaining traces of ridge and furrow. Further traces extend to the south of the southern ornamental canal. Scheduled. (10)

Once the capital residence of the Neville family, the castle was siezed by the Crown in 1471 after the fall of the Earl of Warwick. In 1525 the castle became the residence of the Warden-General of the Marches. In 1537 the President of the Council of the North made it his residence, but subsequent Presidents usually operated from York for the next 30 years. In 1572 it was again the residence of the President and was repaired, although the President moved elsewhere after 1575. In 1624, a survey showed it to be stately in appearance only, the buildings and materials removed and the walls in an indefensible state. (11)

Consolidation work on the north-east court of the inner tcourt in 2002-3 allowed a detailed record of this part of the castle to be made. There is a strong resemblance in the tower layout with Bolton Castle, suggesting some form of consultation, and the surviving evidence points to high-status residence. It had better connection witht he east range rather than the north, which implies that the great hall was not located in the north range, as previously thought. (12-13)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" map, 1959

( 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)142-3

( 3) edited by William Page 1923 The Victoria history of the county of York, North Riding, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England 1923 Page(s)174-76

( 4) Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Object Name Book reference

Ordnance Survey Object Name Book, 1909, 17

( 5) by Thomas Gill 1852 Vallis eboracensis : comprising the history and antiquities of Easingwold and its neighbourhood

Vallis Eboracumenses, 1852, 426 (T Gill) Page(s)426

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

Field Investigator, SA, 29-NOV-1977

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

DOE(HHR), District of Ryedale, North Yorkshire, July 1985, p 22

( 8) English Heritage 1995 County list of Scheduled Monuments : March 1994

North Yorkshire Page(s)49

(9) 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)525

(10) Scheduled Monument Notification

EH Scheduling amendment, 11-DEC-2001

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

Page(s)293-5

(12) The Castle Studies Group Journal

21, 2007-8 Page(s)172-8

(13) The Castle Studies Group Journal

22, 2008-9 Page(s)179-200

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