- Type
- Ruin
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Style
- Gothic architecture
- Coordinates
- 53.6587°, -1.4906°
History
The first earthwork castle, a motte and bailey, was probably raised in the early 12th century by the Warenne earls of Surrey, who held large estates around Wakefield. In the 13th century it was replaced by a stone castle with a keep on the motte and a barbican. When the family died out in 1347 the castle passed to the Crown and later to the dukes of York. On 30 December 1460 Richard, Duke of York, rode out from here to the Battle of Wakefield, where he was killed. Richard III began enlarging the castle in the 1480s, but the work stopped at his death. During the Civil War the Royalist garrison surrendered in 1645, and the castle was demolished a year later.
What to see
What survives are fragments of the keep walls on the motte, the remains of the barbican and deep moats, uncovered during excavations in the 1960s and 1970s. Walkways and steps lead to the top of the mound, with views of Wakefield and the Calder valley. Panels at the ruins tell the story of the castle and the battle, and the fields below form part of the 1460 battlefield.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q1760652
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