Middleham Castle
The first castle to be built at Middleham was an eleventh century motte and bailey. The earthworks of this castle are still clearly visible today, close to the twelfth century castle that succeeded it. The new stone keep was one of the largest in the country, with walls up to twelve feet thick in places, which provided luxurious accommodation. Middleham Castle was home to several powerful noblemen, but is perhaps most famous for being the home of Richard III.

Middleham Castle: BU05259a

Middleham Castle: BU05262a

Helmsley Castle
Walter Espec, who also founded Rievaulx Abbey nearby, built the original castle in the twelfth century. Robert de Roos rebuilt the castle in stone later in the century and the castle passed to his descendants until 1688. In 1644, during the Civil War, a Parliamentary army held the castle under siege for three months. After the garrison surrendered, the castle’s fortifications were destroyed, so it could no longer be of any military use to the Royalists. The house that had been built during the Tudor period was left habitable and was bought by Charles Duncombe, a London goldsmith, in 1688 – the only time in its history that the castle changed hands.

Helmsley Castle: BU06923

Helmsley Castle: BU06933a

Bolton Castle
Bolton Castle was built by Richard, Lord Scrope at the end of the fourteenth century, and is still owned by his descendants today. There was a Civil War siege at Bolton, which lasted for more than a year, after which in 1647, the Commonwealth Committee at York ordered that the castle be ‘rendered untenable’, which accounts for the destruction visible today. After this, the Scrope family moved to Bolton Hall, with the remaining rooms in the castle being remodelled for use as dwellings for farm workers. A huge programme of restoration started at the end of the nineteenth century, to bring the castle’s rooms back to their original layout where possible.

Bolton Castle: BU05384a

Bolton Castle : BU05355a