- Type
- Castle
- Built
- c. 1180 · 12th century
- Site origins
- 11th century per Wikidata – an earlier stronghold or first mention
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 53.4843°, -1.2261°
History
The first earthwork castle was raised after the Norman Conquest by William de Warenne, who received vast estates in Yorkshire. Around 1180 Hamelin Plantagenet, half-brother of Henry II, who had married the Warenne heiress, built a circular stone keep reinforced by six massive buttresses, along with curtain walls. When the family died out in 1347 the castle passed to the Crown and then to the dukes of York. By the 16th century it was already in ruins. In the 21st century English Heritage gave the keep back its roof and floors.
What to see
The white cylindrical keep, about 27 metres high, rises above the remains of the curtain walls and the courtyard. Inside, visitors climb through the storeys on reconstructed floors, and a small chapel with a Gothic vault is tucked into one of the buttresses. The roof offers views over the Don valley, and the visitor centre has an exhibition on the castle's history.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q3662579
Popularity: articles about this site in 17 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).