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CastleUK Blog
March 2008 |
The blog page, a place where I can record and then archive my monthly updates and what's been happening in my hunt for castles UK.
This months castles, are from North Yorkshire.
February was a quiet castle hunting month but we did managed to visit 2 or 3 castles on a trip to see my mum. I was going to put them on this month until I received an email from Dennis, which said 'Is there any reason why Sheriff Hutton Castle never seems to get a mention?' short and to the point but the question he raised was very valid.
This Ricardian castle never seems to get a mention in the castle websites, why I don't know, maybe like me after visiting the site in 2004, it became just another castle waiting its turn to go on the website.
With all its famous owners, Richard Nevill, 'the kingmaker', King Richard III, whose son Edward, Prince of Wales, reputedly died there, (there is a child's tomb in the church), Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, victor at Flodden Field and Henry fitz Roy, Duke of Richmond, the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII, it deserves better!
Plus if you phone the owner he'll let you have a look around, top man!! plus plus there is an earth ringwork castle you can walk, next to the church, plus plus plus there is a good pint of beer to be had in the village pub, what more can a castle hunter and his castle spotter want.
I'll be emailing Dennis back, to tell him that Castleuk has put its house in order!
Castleuk had another first on Wednesday, 27th, when we were both woken just before 1am by the earthquake, at 5.2 its a rare one for the UK and the first one I can remember, luckily the tremor only rattled the house, lasting just 10 seconds.
Click on the picture, for more information. |
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Pontefract Castle, OS 105/SE 460-223 Yorkshire England, is this months wallpaper, its my Easter wallpaper and I like to have a church picture or this time a chapel picture.
The picture was taken in March 2004, I was standing by the King's Tower, looking across the bailey to the motte and the keep, with St Clement's Chapel in the foreground. Pontefract is another Ricardian castle, with tons of history but sadly nowhere better can be seen the results of Civil War slighting. |
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Sheriff Hutton Castle, OS 100/SE 652-662 Yorkshire England, is a 14th century stone quadrangular fortress, founded by Lord John Nevill, of Raby. In 1382, King Richard II granted John a licence to enclose with a wall of stone and lime and crenellate, a plot in his own ground. It consisted of ranges of buildings around a central courtyard, with towers of four or five storeys on the angles. In a ruinous condition by 1618, farm buildings now stand in what was outer ward. The site is part of Castle Farm and bona fide visitors to the castle are welcome, by prior arrangement. Also there is a public footpath, that's leads to a circular walk around the perimeter of the castle. Great site, you can walk around the outside or if you've phone the farm, you can have a look inside. |
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Sheriff Hutton Motte, OS 100/SE 657-622 Yorkshire England, is an early 12th century earth and timber ringwork and bailey fortress, founded by Ansketil de Bulmer. Standing on a ridge which has been scarped on its north and south sides, the square ringwork still retains its substantial earthwork rampart and its deep U-shaped ditch. Again a good site, with free access, its interesting to look at both castles and work out the changes in there design. |
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Slingsby Castle , OS 100/SE 694-749 Yorkshire England, was originally a fortified manor house or hunting lodge, founded by the de Mowbrays. In 1344, Ralph de Hastings founded the stone castle, when he was granted a licence to crenellate his manor house. In 1474, another licence was issued to William, Lord Hastings to build, enclose and crenellate the castle or manor. The site is private and the view from the road is restricted. Nice village with a standing maypole on the green, worth a look. |
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