Knaresborough Castle

September 13, 2024 danmoorhouse

Knaresborough Castle is a large castle built on a promontory overlooking the River Nidd. Dominated by ‘The King’s Tower’ the castle is a good example of how castles were developed over time. It was developed regularly from the 11th to 15th century. Knaresborugh Castle has many links to royals and has been held by the Duchy of Lancaster since 1372 when it was granted to John of Gaunt in exchange for the Earldom of Richmond.

King's Tower at Knaresborough Castle — King’s Tower at Knaresborough Castle. By Alan Sim, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia

Ancient Origins?

In 1832 it was suggested by Harcroft that a series of ditches and ramparts at Knaresborough were evidence of a Roman fort. Measuring 600 by 900 feet this would be a possibility. However, later inspections of the town suggest that this is unlikely. The site noted by Harcroft marks the edges of the Saxon settlement and was therefore more probably the marked boundary of the burgh.

Norman Castle at Knaresborough

Knaresborough is referenced in the Domesday Book as Chenaresburg. The place name translates to Cenheard’s fortification, suggesting that there was a defesible structure at the site at the time of the Norman invasion. It is known that the Normans constructed or developed a castle as it was referred to in a document from 1130. However, none of the buildings on the site date from this period due to regular remodelling of the site. Some evidence of foundations from the Norman era do exist but to date it is impossible to ascertain the type or size of the Norman era structures at Knaresborough.

Knaresborough and the Murder of Thomas Becket

In 1170 Knaresborough was held by Hugh de Moreville. This was one of the knights who entered the cathedral at Canterbury and killed Archbishop Becket. After the Archbishop had been slain de Moreville and his followers made their way to Knaresborough where they took refuge for a period of time. He and the other assailants then travelled to Rome and eventually gained an audience with the Pope. They were ordered to serve as Knights of the Temple in Jerusalem for 14 years as a punishment: they were also excommunicated for a period of time. Following their 14 years service they were to live as recluses in the Black Mountains near Antioch. Sir Hugh and the other murderers of Thomas Becket are said to be buried in what was once the refectory of a Knight’s Templar site which is now underneath the portico in front of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

King John and the development of Knaresborough Castle

In the reign of King John Knaresborough was one of the sites chosen for development. It, along with Scarborough Castle, were subject to a large scale redevelopment. This programme of works began in 1204 at Knaresborough. The King is known to have stayed at Knaresbrough on several occasions, making use of the Hunting available in the nearby managed Forest of Knaresborough. The Duchy of Lancaster record of the site suggests that King John spent more money on his development of Knaresborough and Scarborough Castles than he did on all other castles in England combined. It was therefore a major investment and highly valued Royal possession. The works undertaken at this time also included widening and deepening the moat. One unreferenced site suggests the spend on Knaresborough by King John was £1,290, a huge amount for the time.

Edward I, Edward II, Piers Graveson and the development of Knaresborough Castle

Modernisation of the castle was regular. Edward I used the castle when preparing his assaults on Scotland and invested heavily in the castles defences. From his reign there are some segments of the curtain wall that he improved, and the gatehouse of the eastern gate dates from his reign. Under his son, Edward II, Knaresborugh remained important. It was granted to the King’s favourite, the unpopular Piers Graveson. Edward II stayed at the Castle whilst his friend and ally was being besieged at Scarborough. Whilst Graveson held the Honour and Castle of Knaresborough the existing tower was replaced with the King’s Tower. This was originally a four storey tower. It was damaged in later conflicts but it’s remains are the dominant part of the visible castle to this day.

East Gate, Knaresborough Castle. By Mtaylor848 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia

In 1317 the castle saw military action as it was attacked during unrest aimed at Edward II. In 1319 it needed to be utilised as a place of refuge as the area was fearful of a Scottish invasion force. The Scots did advance as far as Myton-on-Swale, where they defeated an army that had been arrayed by the Archbishop of York but did not make any attempt to assault Knaresborough. Similarly, it would have been in a state of readiness in 1322 when the Scots again invaded the north of England and made large inroads into Yorkshire.

Queen Phillipa’s Summertime retreat

The Honour and Castle of Knaresborough were granted to Queen Philippa as part of her marriage settlement when she wed King Edward III. It soon became a favourite residence of the Queen Consort, who spent many summers at the Castle.

It was later granted to her son, John of Gaunt, in exchange for the Honour and Earldom of Richmond. This happened in 1372, placing the Castle in the hands of the Duchy of Lancaster, who have held the castle ever since.

Administrative centre under the Lancastrian Kings

King Henry IV retained Knaresborough as an administrative centre for the region, rather than making use of it as a residence or major military site. It retained this function throughout the reigns of each of the Lancastrian Kings. This role continued throughout the Wars of the Roses, with the castle simply remaining in use as an administrative site, court, and jail. The same function continued under the Tudor monarchs.

Painting titled View from Knaresborough Castle Overlooking the Viaduct with Train by Anon. This painting is at the Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. — British (English) School; View from Knaresborough Castle Overlooking the Viaduct with Train; The Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate

The English Civil War and Knaresborough Castle

Despite the castle having not having a major military role for several centuries it remained a valuable fortification and its size and defences were strong. When the English Civil Wars broke out the castle, being held by the Duchy of Lancaster [ie the Crown at this time] was garrisoned by the Royalists. In 1644 a Parliamentarian force lay siege to the castle.

Following the Parliamentarian victory the castle was subject to partial demolition to render it unusable in the event of any Royalist resumption of hostilities. Parts of the moat were filled in, linking the castle and adjoining town for the first time. Many of the inner buildings were demolished and parts of the major buildings were dismantled. One major visible difference is the reducing of the height of the King’s Tower. The site was retained though and retained its function as an administrative centre. So too did it continue to be home to a court and jail.

Later developments

Parts of the Castles grounds were beautified and transformed into landscaped gardens in the Victorian era. Part of this was to cater for the tourist trade which developed at this time: Knaresborough Castle being a favoured excersion for those holidaying at the nearby Spa town of Harrogate. The gardens were also extended for the Jubilee of Queen Victoria.