Middleham Castle

Middleham Castle was built near the site of an earlier motte and bailey castle, called William's Hill, the site of which can still be seen nearby, although there is no evidence of stonework or defensive structures to the former castle site. Historians believe that the defensive walls of the original castle were constructed from timber. In 1270 the new Middleham Castle came into the hands of the Neville family, the most notable member of which was Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, known to history as the "Kingmaker", a leading figure in the Wars of the Roses. Following the death of Richard, Duke of York, at Wakefield in December 1460, his younger son, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, came…

for defence]] The castle is a compact, massive structure, and though ruinous, most of the walls are intact. A simple rectangle in plan, the castle consists of a massive Norman keep surrounded by a later curtain wall, to which were then added extensive, palatial residential ranges. The location of the castle was as a safe refuge on the road from Richmond to Skipton, and in this respect, it guarded the road and the area of Coverdale. Pevsner comments that the site of the original castle which had a motte of 40 ft was far better placed to defend the road than the latter castle of 1190. The keep is similar to other large square keeps, but had only two storeys, even so, at 105 ft from north to…