Knaresborough Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

The ruins of Knaresborough Castle occupy a rocky promontory west of the town, rising sheer above the gorge of the River Nidd in North Yorkshire. A royal fortress mentioned as early as 1130, the castle was one of the Crown's main strongholds in the north of England and the administrative centre of the Honour and Liberty of Knaresborough. The most spectacular feature is the King's Tower, a great keep built in the early 14th century for Edward II. Also surviving are the twin towers of the east gatehouse, fragments of curtain wall, the dry moat and two underground sally ports cut into the rock. The medieval courthouse, remodelled in the Tudor period, now houses a museum. Owned by the Duchy of Lancaster since the 14th century, the site was held by the Royalists during the Civil War and then slighted on the orders of Parliament in 1648. Its grounds have been open to the public for walks and leisure since the late 19th century.