- Type
- Castle
- Built
- c. 1125 · 12th century
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 54.5433°, -1.9267°
History
In the late 11th century King William II granted these lands to Guy de Balliol, who raised the first earth-and-timber defences here. Around 1125 his nephew Bernard de Balliol began building a stone castle, and the town that grew up at its gates took his name. The Balliols produced John, King of Scots from 1292 to 1296; after his revolt Edward I confiscated the castle, which then passed to the Earls of Warwick and, through his marriage to Anne Neville, to Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the future Richard III. During the Rising of the North in 1569 the castle held out for eleven days before Sir George Bowes was forced to surrender it. In the 17th century Sir Henry Vane dismantled it for building material to enlarge Raby Castle.
What to see
The ruins crown the high bank of the Tees: the walls of several wards survive, along with a moat and, above all, the round 13th-century Balliol Tower rising right at the cliff edge. In the inner ward look out for the boar carved in stone, the emblem of Richard III. The castle hill looks down on the river and the old bridge, and in the town the Bowes Museum with its European art collection is well worth a visit. The castle is in the care of English Heritage.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q4185811
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