English Heritage Guidebooks
2 total works
Clifford's Tower is all that remains of York's medieval castle, which was once the main northern stronghold of the kings of England. At first, there was a timber tower here, where one of the most notorious events in the history of the castle took place in 1190, when the Jews of York, who had taken refuge in the tower, died in tragic circumstances. The stone tower was built soon afterwards and was used as a treasury and royal exchequer. In the 17th century, a fire destroyed the interior of the tower and the building was reduced to a shell. Many of the remaining castle buildings were swept away in the 18th and 19th centuries. This guidebook contains a tour of the tower and the other remains of York Castle, together with a history of the site, illustrated with new reconstruction drawings, photographs, plans and historical images.
Set on a rocky outcrop overlooking the River Rye, the ruins of Helmsley Castle still dominate the town. The castle was first established in the 1120s by Walter Espec, one of the most prominent nobles in England at the time. The castle was extended and enhanced by its various owners throughout the Middle Ages, most notably in the 14th century, when alterations are likely to have been made from King Edward III's visit to the castle in 1334. By the 16th century, the medieval buildings were inadequate for the ambitious Edward Manners, and he converted the chamber block into a fine Tudor mansion, the remains of which can still be seen today.